English Channel fishing: the boss of the British trawler will be tried next August

Channel: the trawler Cornelis, here in March 2021, was boarded in the Channel on October 28 with 2 tonnes of scallops illegally fished in French territorial waters according to the prosecutor in Le Havre.

ARJAN BUURVELD via REUTERS - ARJAN BUURVELD

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The fisheries file is still burning between France and the United Kingdom.

After the call for calm and the resumption of discussions yesterday Thursday, London announced that it wanted to summon the French ambassador to Great Britain.

A response to the restrictive measures announced by Paris which will take effect next Tuesday.

In this context, the French justice announces that the boss of the British trawler intercepted in French waters yesterday will be well judged. 

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The captain of the trawler

probably did not expect to find himself in the middle of a diplomatic confrontation between France and England.

A match that has lasted for more than nine months with the Channel for the ground.

A sea full of fish, and rich in crustaceans shared by English and French fishermen for centuries.

The Scottish boss of the

is suspected of having fished more than two tonnes of scallops in the French exclusive economic zone without having a valid license.

An offense of unauthorized sea fishing "to a third party vessel to the European Union" underlines the prosecutor of Le Havre, in Normandy, where the vessel was diverted.

Normandy is the first producing region of scallops, whose fishing season opened in mid-October.

The Normandy sector supplies 7 out of 10 shells caught in France.

►

: Norman fishermen facing the tidal wave of Brexit

► The war of the scallop is also

The owner of the trawler believes that this is a misunderstanding. Supported by the British authorities, he explains that he has all the necessary authorizations to fish in these waters and denounces a political maneuver by the French state. Yesterday Thursday, his boat and another British fishing vessel were boarded by French maritime authorities amid tensions between the two countries. 

The British Channel waters are particularly full of fish, so Paris wants more fishing licenses to be granted to French boats, especially in the Channel Islands.

Especially since 80% of British fishing is intended for export.

In the absence of progress, Paris announced restrictions including a tightening of controls.

The message sent is clear: no more gifts in the tricolor waters.

►

: Fishing in the Channel, France counter-attack 

The Scottish fishing boss will be tried next August, he risks a fine of 75,000 euros.

Deeming the actions envisaged by France "unjustified", the head of British diplomacy Liz Truss has instructed her secretary of state in charge of Europe, Wendy Morton, to "summon" the ambassador of France, announced a British government spokesperson in a statement Thursday.

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