Post-Brexit fishing row: UK & France make last-ditch efforts to avoid 'chaos and disaster'

Amid the dispute over fishing licences, UK and France launched last-ditch talks in a bid to find an agreement between the two nations. According to The Guardian, UK PM Boris Johnson, while speaking at the G20 Summit in Rome on Saturday, October 30, said that the UK will retaliate if cross-channel freight is disrupted because of the dispute. Johnson confirmed that the UK could consider formal action under the trade and cooperation agreement over perceived French breaches of its terms. He even reiterated his willingness to take whatever action was necessary. 

During a round of broadcast interviews in Italy, the UK PM said, “If there is a breach of the treaty or we think there is a breach of the treaty then we will do what is necessary to protect British interests.” When asked if he believed there had been a breach, Johnson said that this was likely. 

France, on the other hand, has reportedly said that it will gradually increase customs and sanitary control on freight, make more rigorous checks of trucks coming in and leaving the nation and even prohibit trawlers from landing their catch in French ports if the dispute was not resolved. As per the media outlet, the French government is also considering raising the price of nuclear energy provided to Jersey through undersea cables. Moreover, France’s PM Jean Castex has written to the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, seeking further EU action on top of the unilateral measures announced. 

Post-Brexit fishing row

It is pertinent to mention that the focus of the row is the shortfall in the number of licences given to French vessels within the coastal waters of the UK and Jersey. The Guardian reported that the UK has only approved 16 out of 47 applicants for French boats to operate in the UK’s coastal waters. Additionally, the British officials are considering approving another 14 applications, but they have also already rejected 17 French applicants because of “poor evidence”. 

Notably, Jersey is a British Crown dependent outside of the UK, located approximately 14 miles off the coast of France. As a result, it has authority over who is permitted to fish in its territorial waters. It has given licences based on its interpretation of the UK-EU trade agreement, and France has been accused of acting arbitrarily. 

Now, amid the escalating row between the two nations, France’s President Emmanuel Macron has said that the row was a test of the UK’s credibility. In an interview with Financial Times, Macron, who will be meeting Johnson at the G20 meeting in Rome on Sunday, said that the UK spent years negotiating a treaty and then a few months later they did the opposite of what was decided. “It is not a big sign of your credibility,” Macron said, adding that the two nations need to respect each other and respect the word that has been given. 

France-UK row has reached 'ridiculous point' 

Meanwhile, the latest development comes after the head of the ports of Calais and Boulogne, Jean-Marc Puissesseau, spoke of a disaster if France goes through on its threats to clog up trade. Puissesseau had also informed that he received instructions to stop British fishers from unloading in Boulogne from Tuesday while the border officials at Calais would enforce tougher controls on goods-laden trucks. 

According to The Guardian, Puissesseau said that if France decides to go through on its threats, it will be a “disaster”. He said that it will be chaos in both nations because the trucks will not cross, causing chaos at the ports. “It has reached a ridiculous point,” he said. Further, Puissesseau also added that he now hopes that the British and the French find an agreement. He also went on to inform that he is aware that some discussions are going to take place during the weekend.  

Image: AP