France: French fishermen go on the offensive in the Channel
French fishermen are blocking three ports on Friday November 26: Saint-Malo, Ouistreham and Calais.
Here a French fisherman aboard the trawler off Ouistreham, in north-western France (Image illustration).
AFP / Charly Triballeau
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
French fishermen did not take offense at London's refusal to grant all the fishing licenses promised to work in British waters.
The French national fisheries committee announced the blocking this Friday, November 26 of access to three ports in the Channel: Saint-Malo, Ouistreham and Calais.
On land, they will block the access of freight trucks to the Channel Tunnel freight terminal for a few hours.
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French fishermen are launching this Friday, November 26, an operation to block ports and freight access to the Channel Tunnel, on the French side, to demand the settlement of post-Brexit fishing disputes with the United Kingdom.
The atmosphere is that of great days: it is the first time since the blockade of the island of Jersey last May that French fishermen have organized a “
great day of action
”.
►Also listen: Post-Brexit fishing: the standoff continues
French fishermen have already blocked the entry into the port of Saint-Malo of a ferry from Jersey. Dozens of boats must block the entry of ferries coming from Great Britain in three ports of the French Channel: Saint-Malo, Ouistreham, in Normandy, then Calais, in Hauts-de-France. In the afternoon, it is aboard their vans that the fishermen have planned to block, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. the access of goods trucks to the freight terminal of the Channel Tunnel. Symbolic at the entrance to ports, where the swell may not allow all the planned actions, the initiative is more threatening near the tunnel, through which 25% of trade between the United Kingdom and Europe passes. .
"
If we have to go further, we will go further
"
“
The goal is for the British government to realize that we can also block English imported products.
I don't know if that can move the lines.
But all I know is that if we have to go further, we will go further next time.
There is a movement of humor so that, already, the European Union becomes well aware of our problems and that the British move a little
”, explains
Olivier Leprêtre, the president of the fishing committee of Hauts-de-France.
At the microphone of
Altin Lazaj
,
of the Economy service of RFI
, he also believes that
"
the Johnson government is going out of its way not to give these licenses, while it has signed in the agreement, as what it gave licenses for French fishing vessels.
In return, the English fishermen - it is not only the fishermen, but all the trade - had access to the European market
”
.
London received the message and reacted on Thursday evening, saying it was "disappointed" by these "threats of protest" and urging France to "
ensure that illegal acts are not committed and that trade is not affected.
".
"
The tree that hides the forest
"
For the president of the national committee, "
this issue of licenses is the tree that hides the forest: its resolution will depend on long-term relations with the United Kingdom
".
While questioning the strength of the European commitment alongside EU fishermen, Gérard Romiti welcomed the "
ultimatum
" launched Wednesday by the European Commission, which asked London to settle this dispute by December 10 .
Under the Brexit agreement signed at the end of 2020 between London and Brussels, European fishermen can continue to work in British waters provided they can prove that they were fishing there before.
But the French and the British argue over the nature and extent of the supporting documents to be provided.
Since January 1, France has obtained "
more than 960 licenses
" for fishing in British waters and the Channel Islands, but Paris is still asking for more than 150 authorizations.
(
And with agencies
)
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Agriculture and Fishing