UK urges France to ‘de-escalate’ fishing row

Britain’s Environment Secretary George Eustice told parliament that he had spoken to EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius and stressed: “It is important we remain calm, de-escalate it.”

French officials on Wednesday threatened measures targeting British fish exports from November 2, including time-consuming customs and sanitary checks on products brought to France, and a ban on landing seafood.

Europe Minister Clement Beaune said extra checks could also be extended to “other merchandise” crossing the Channel, endangering Britain’s main trading gateway to the continent, and Paris has also threatened to cut electricity supplies to Jersey.

“The UK government will stand squarely behind Jersey on this matter,” Eustice said, with the Channel Island also in French sights over the granting of fishing licences.

He reiterated a UK statement Wednesday that the French threats were “disappointing and disproportionate” and vowed an “appropriate and calibrated response”.

“We remain committed and willing to consider new information” to support license applications from French fishing boats, Eustice added. “Our door remains ever open.”

The minister said that since Brexit took full effect at the start of the year, Britain had granted licenses to 1,673 EU vessels to fish in its exclusive economic zone, including 736 French vessels.

A total of 121 EU boats have been licensed to fish six to 12 miles off the UK coast, including 103 French vessels.

In all, Britain had granted 98 percent of EU applications, Eustice said, vowing to continue “constructive negotiations” with both Brussels and Paris.