The French government confirmed on the 28th that the French side seized a British fishing boat and gave a verbal warning to another British fishing boat. The British expressed disappointment and warned the French side not to implement further retaliatory measures. Analysts pointed out that fishing rights were once one of the most difficult issues in the UK's "Brexit" negotiations, and although the UK and the EU reached relevant agreements, so far, this issue has not been properly resolved. The French retaliatory measures are fierce, and the United Kingdom will not give in easily due to domestic and foreign political considerations, and it remains to be seen how the dispute between the two sides will end.
Anglo-French fisheries dispute escalates France seizes a British fishing vessel
The French Ministry of Maritime Affairs issued a notice on the 28th that the French side inspected two British fishing vessels late at night on the 27th, one of which did not have a corresponding fishing license, and the fishing vessel and the personnel on board were temporarily detained in the French port of Le Havre.
The British side expressed disappointment at France's seizure of British fishing boats on the 28th, stressing that France's move will be "appropriate and targeted" response.
Eustis, UK Secretary of State for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs
We believe that France's move is disappointing and unreasonable, does not meet the expectations of Britain's close allies and partners, and that the relevant threat measures do not appear to be in line with the relevant trade and cooperation agreements or broader international law, and will be met with an "appropriate and targeted" response if implemented.
On the same day, Boehner, France's secretary of state for European affairs, said france would adopt a zero-tolerance approach to Britain and would prevent British fishing boats from entering until the British side replenished the fishing permits requested by the French side.
Boehner, French Secretary of State for European Affairs
It is time for us to gain respect, and I support the threat and the quest for dialogue, because this gives fishermen a slightly more than half of their fishing licences today, but that is not enough and not at all acceptable, and we need to speak with strength, because this seems to be the only thing that the British government can understand.
However, later in the day, French Prime Minister Castell said that if the British side is willing to abide by the commitments related to the "Brexit" agreement, France is open to negotiations with the United Kingdom on the fisheries dispute.
Under the Brexit agreement, fishermen from EU countries will be able to obtain fishing permits to fish in British waters from January 1 this year. But in the months that followed, applications submitted by French fishing vessels to the British side were frequently rejected, and only a few dozen of the hundreds of fishing boats were often approved, and France criticized the British side for violating the agreement. On October 27, the French government issued a statement saying that it plans to impose sanctions on the British fishing industry from November 2, including prohibiting British fishing boats from docking at some French ports and strengthening sanitary quarantine and customs clearance inspections for goods imported from the United Kingdom. The french government also plans to limit energy supplies to britain in the next step, the statement said.
Britain and France fishing rights dispute is difficult to solve The sequelae of "Brexit" have intensified
Some analysts believe that compared with the automobile industry and financial services industry, which account for a higher proportion of the British economy, the proportion of fisheries can be described as negligible. But for domestic political reasons, the government led by British Prime Minister Johnson is difficult to make concessions on the fishing issue.
In addition, the Johnson administration hopes to use the fisheries issue to show a tough stance to the EU and avoid passivity in other post-Brexit disputes in the future. According to the analysis of the British Sky News channel, Johnson, who has been paying attention to public opinion, is well aware that for many British people who support "Brexit", fishing rights have become a landmark topic. In addition to the fishery problem, other "Brexit" sequelae caused by structural problems between the UK and the EU are gradually emerging. The UK and the EU already have friction in areas such as COVID-19 vaccines and financial services, and the contradictions between the two sides over trade issues in Northern Ireland will also persist, and Johnson does not want to let the outside world think that it is "easy to back down".
In addition to repeatedly making strong statements and taking actions, the French side also issued a statement on the 27th calling on the European Commission to convene a meeting as soon as possible to discuss measures at the EU level. However, experts believe that the trade and cooperation clauses in the "Brexit" agreement were signed by the EU and the UNITED Kingdom, not France and the United Kingdom. The French government has tried many times to gain the support of EU countries, but so far, the EU side has been careful to avoid adding fuel to the fire, and although some EU member states have expressed solidarity and support in principle, it is not easy for France to push for action at the EU level on the issue of countering the Uk.
Source: CCTV4