France and UK in new fishing row over Channel Islands' waters
The French government said on Monday that it considers "null and void" new British requirements for fishing around the Channel Islands.
The UK published on Friday a list of 41 vessels equipped with Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and authorised to fish in Jersey's waters since Saturday.
This list is accompanied by new requirements "which have not been agreed, discussed or notified beforehand," the French Ministry of the Sea told AFP.
These consist mainly of new fishing zones, the number of days fishermen can spend in these waters and what gear they're allowed to fish with.
"We consider that if new requirements for sea areas or fishing gear are integrated into the licences, even though they have not been notified to the European Commission, they are null and void," the ministry added.
It reiterated its commitment to "strict compliance with the agreement" on fisheries negotiated in the context of Brexit: "If the UK wants to introduce new provisions, it must notify them to the European Commission, which notifies them to us, which allows us to engage in a dialogue afterwards. At this stage, we have discovered these new technical measures which are not applicable to our fishermen as they stand."
In an earlier statement, Minister Annick Girardin had said that negotiations were ongoing to obtain more fishing licences.
A European Commission spokesperson said on Monday evening that "any conditions" had to be notified with sufficient notice for the other party to "comment or adapt".
"Furthermore, such conditions cannot discriminate against our fishermen," they said, confirming that the Commission would contact the UK authorities on "any specific issue" related to this.
Euronews has contacted the UK government for comment.
The regional fisheries committees of Brittany and Normandy expressed their "anger and incomprehension" over the British conditions in a joint statement.
They said that they "do not recognise" them because they "are in total violation of the provisions of the Treaty".
"We therefore call for a suspension of all economic relations with Jersey, including the ferry link," it added.
Fishermen in Normandy, who gathered in Cherbourg and Granville on Monday to protest the new British conditions, have also called for retaliatory measures.
"It is obvious that there will be responses to the aggression we have been subjected to by the Jersey authorities in relation to fishing authorisations. We hope that the state will take retaliatory measures," Dimitri Rogoff, president of the Normandy regional fisheries committee, said
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