The Normandy Regional Fisheries Committee has launched an attack on Don Thompson, president of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association, accusing him of ‘distilling hatred’ through a stream of ‘permanent fake news’.
And Mr Thompson said he was disappointed at the ‘unprofessional and personal’ nature of the attack launched from the committee’s base in Cherbourg, but not surprised that threats and intimidation had been used.
In a press release issued on Friday, and subsequently picked up by regional newspaper Ouest France, the Normandy committee denied that trawlers from France had caused damage to breeding grounds and also to equipment belonging to their Jersey counterparts.
Mr Thompson is accused of constantly threatening and denouncing the Granville Bay Treaty, which governs reciprocal fishing access for boats from Jersey and France.
‘If the treaty were to be denounced, we would be forced to intervene in all areas that could affect the maritime environment, be they tourism, economic or energy,’ the statement read. ‘We can assure that then the commitment of French fishermen would be total.’
The committee said its members remained open to discussion on key issues such as access to the waters of Granville Bay, resource management to ensure the sustainability of fish stocks and installing geolocation systems on all vessels.
Responding to the accusations aimed at him, Mr Thompson said: ‘While we have differences of view on a number of things, I would never attack one of my counterparts like this.’
He added: ‘We always predicted that they would use threats and intimidation and I hope that Jersey doesn’t end up bending to that sort of strategy.’
Deputy Steve Luce, a former Environment Minister and oyster farmer who has been pushing for government assistance for Island fishermen, said that some of the French claims were hard to understand and that disinformation was unfortunate.
‘It’s a very complicated issue and the challenges for Jersey fishermen never seem to end,’ he said. ‘There has been pressure from the UK and from France, issues surrounding the Granville Bay Treaty and sustainable fish stocks, Brexit and then Covid-19 has come along as another major issue.’
Deputy Luce said that the treaty contained a clause covering the need for a review every ten years, but no review had taken place despite the treaty being almost 20 years old. He said he would continue to press government and hoped that a meeting to discuss the issue would take place in the next week to ten days.
