LONDON -

The sea fishing crisis is returning to add more tension to British-French relations, bringing them to unprecedented levels, with the two sides exchanging threats to wage war on seas, if necessary, to protect their interests.

And the island of Jersey, which belongs to the United Kingdom, and is very close to French territorial waters, returned to make the event, and ignite a war of words between London and Paris, especially after the latter threatened to cut off the island’s electricity supply, and imposed a kind of siege on it.

This is not the first time that Paris has threatened to take this step, as the same island had, months ago, caused the British and French navy to move their warships around the island, and the confrontation would have almost taken place without the intervention of the European Union to mediate.

A lot of tension hangs over this island after the French anger reached its height, accusing the government in London of reneging on its pledges for the post-Brexit period, especially in the aspect related to marine fishing, which France considers very sensitive to it.


What are the causes of the crisis?

The French authorities say that the government approved, during the past week, 12 out of 47 requests made by French ships to fish in the waters of the island of Jersey, close to French territorial waters, which makes it easy for French ships to access them.

In total, the authorities on the British island announced that they had rejected 75 of the requests submitted by French fishing vessels out of 170 requests, which means that about half of the French fleet will have to leave the island’s waters in a period not exceeding a month, according to the Brexit agreement.

These figures are considered unsatisfactory by Paris and will block the way for dozens of French fishing vessels.

The island of Jersey depends on electricity from a French company that threatens Paris with cutting off electricity to the island (Getty Images)

What does the Brexit agreement say?

The Brexit agreement stipulates that the ships, which will have the right to fish in the waters of the island of Jersey, are the ships that provide documents proving the history of their activity in that area, and that they have spent 5 years fishing in the waters of the island.

The island authorities say that many of the ships failed to provide these documents, while the French version says that many technical details have been added that make it difficult for the ships to prove that they have been operating in this area for years.


What is the nature of the French threat?

The French government repeats its previous threats to cut off electricity to the island, which depends for its energy supply on a French company, which supplies it with more than half of its needs, in addition to preventing the export of mineral water to the island.

France also threatens to prevent the entry of goods coming from this island into the port of Calais, which means imposing a complete blockade on the island.

In the past, some had said that Paris' threats were for pressure, but the government's European Affairs Minister, Clement Bonn, stresses that such decisions may be taken sooner.

A French fishing boat participated in a protest against British laws limiting freedom of fishing in the waters of the Kingdom after Brexit (French)

How does the British government respond?

Britain deals with French threats very harshly, and confirms its readiness to move its warships again to prevent unauthorized fishing vessels from reaching the waters of the island of Jersey.

The Brexit minister in the government, David Forrest, stressed that France does not deal with his country fairly, noting that London was "generous" with European countries by giving them large quotas of fishing in British waters.

The British deal with a lot of coldness, which they are known for, after they ensured that the European Union would not be drawn into the French escalation, as the newspaper "Daily Mail" quoted European sources as saying that the Europeans did not want to escalate.

British fishing vessels are having difficulty fishing near the island of Jersey due to France's restrictions (Getty Images)

Why is France so sensitive?

The French fleet is considered one of the most profitable from fishing in the territorial waters of the United Kingdom, given its geographical proximity, and the ability to reach the fish-rich North Sea easily.

The second factor is political, as the coastal city of Boulogne in northern France, which is considered one of the largest cities in the country, relies heavily on marine fishing, an electoral reservoir that no president can give up.

French President Emmanuel Macron does not want to give up this area or anger the fishermen there, so he is playing with all his cards to pressure the British to allow the area's fishermen to return to fishing on the island of Jersey.

What reactions are expected from fishermen?

The head of the fishing association on the island of Jersey warned, in press statements, that the island's fishermen would be ready to confront the French ships if they tried to reach the island.

The British official said that in the past they did not intervene because the government asked them to stay away, "but this time the French have to wait for a war in the waters if they approach again."

On the other hand, more than one French fishing association promised that it was ready for confrontation, and would return to the island without a permit, while others confirmed that they would respond by preventing the arrival of any British ship from the port of Dover to Calais, as well as obstructing the movement of trains.