The United Kingdom and the European Union have until January 1, the effective date of Brexit, to find a trade deal.
In Normandy, pressure is mounting for fishermen, who share the fish-rich waters of the English Channel with the British.
Europe 1 went to meet them, in Calvados.
REPORTAGE
A little more than two weeks before the deadline for finding an agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the hypothesis of a Brexit without a trade agreement raises fears of the worst in French fishing ports.
Particularly in Normandy, the second French maritime region with nearly 600 boats and 1,600 sailors, who share the Channel with their English counterparts.
But for lack of agreement, the French fishermen would have to fall back on the south of the Channel, a smaller area to be shared with the Belgians, the Dutch and the Germans.
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In Port-en-Bessin-Huppain, in Calvados, the sailors evoke an unprecedented prospect of chaos.
These are the ten largest trawlers, over twenty meters for a value of several million euros, which fear the prospect of a "no deal" the most.
"All these boats are boats that fish on the English side, more than 50% of their time. On average it is even 70%, they are really dependent on these areas. It can become a tragedy", explains Dimitri Rogoff, president of the Normandy regional fisheries committee.
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"It is very worrying. We are really in the unknown. It is very scary," says Jean-Baptiste Hauchard, who has just invested in an offshore building 25 meters long.
"I committed to the tune of 3 million euros, it is considerable. When I see that tuna has been banned in the Atlantic, it is the boat fleets that have had to cease their activity. terrible dramas. We think about it ".
Warships that go wrong
Four Royal Navy patrol boats, 80-meter-long ships, are already ready, on the orders of the British government.
They will have all their armaments even though there are no plans to use them on European Union trawlers, but the navy will have the power to stop, inspect and even confiscate European ships.
"I can hardly see the navy harpooning the French trawlers. But they cannot just ignore the law. We have been warning for four years that we are leaving the European Union. The other fishermen should have been prepared. hard what I say, but if they do illegal things, then they will be punished ", entrusts the founder of the association of the trawlers and fisherman of Hastings, port of the south of England.
These four ships are part of a larger plan to monitor the British coasts: 14,000 soldiers are ready to be deployed and army helicopters could also be used.
A deployment that goes badly for French fishermen.
"Warships when we are looking for an agreement, sounding the cannon is irresponsible. There will be no naval battle, we do not want an accident," says Dimitri Rogoff.
"If there is to be retaliation, it will be on land, on imports. We will block the trucks so that a kilo of English fish does not touch French soil."
A serious threat for the United Kingdom because 76% of British fish are exported, mainly to the European Union.
A blockade would thus be the worst response.