China News Service, May 10. Recently, the fishery dispute between Britain and France has intensified.
According to foreign media reports, on the 9th local time, French government spokesman Attar said that if the British side does not implement the two-party fisheries agreement, the French side may retaliate against the United Kingdom.
On May 6, local time, French fishing boats assembled in protest near Jersey Island in the English Channel.
According to reports, Atar said in response to whether the power will be cut off on British Jersey, "We hope these agreements will be respected" and said, "If they do not perform, (we) may take retaliatory measures."
According to previous reports, on May 6, dozens of French fishing boats gathered outside the port of Saint Helier, the capital of the British island of Jersey, to protest. After the French threatened to cut off Jersey’s electricity, the United Kingdom sent two naval patrol ships. Upon arriving in the waters, the French side responded with two patrol boats.
In addition, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously announced that it will take all feasible measures to protect the rights of French fishermen in relevant waters.
According to reports, the issue of fishing rights is an old problem between Britain and France. Although the two sides signed a trade agreement in December 2020, France has been accusing the United Kingdom of preventing French fishing vessels from operating in relevant waters.
On April 30, 2021, the British government announced a list of French fishing vessels that can enter British waters to fish from May 1.
Of the 344 applications submitted by the French side, only 41 fishing boats were approved. The British side also stipulated the sea areas that fishing boats can enter, the number of fishing days, fishing gear, and types.
This move added fuel to the fishery conflict between the two sides.