LONDON (CU)_French fishermen on Thursday (22 April) blocked lorries carrying UK-landed fish at the entrance of Europe’s largest seafood processing centre, Boulogne-sur-Mer, in response to London’s delays in issuing licenses to fish in British waters. More than 50 trawlermen used a barricade of barrels and wood pallets blocking the trucks, along with a sign that read: “You want to keep your waters??? OK … So, keep your fish!!!”
The post-Brexit trade agreement between London and Brussels specifies that fishermen from the 27 member-states of the EU may keep fishing in British waters once they’ve received a licence. However, there have been delays in the process, resulting in a significant number of fishermen still waiting for their license.
“We thought it would be a matter of days. Four months on we’ve barely moved forwards,” Bruno Margolle, chief of the main fishermen’s cooperative in Boulogne-sur-Mer, said.
He noted that many of those who are awaiting license are struggling to meet London’s requirement of electric data which show they had fished in British waters since 5 years prior to the 2016 UK referendum on withdrawal from the EU.
Meanwhile, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in London says Britain maintains an evidence-based approach when issued license to European fishermen using data provided by the European Commission, and therefore this reaction from French fishermen was unjustified. A spokesman for the Department noted that the British government has raised their concerns with French authorities.
On the other hand, the French government says that it has requested the European Commission to take firm action to ensure Britain complies with the agreement. “We will act in a spirit of European solidarity and cooperation with Britain, but the urgency of the situation compels us all to speed up efforts,” France’s Minister on European Affairs, Clement Beaune, and Sea Minister Annick Girardin, said in a statement.
