An online petition, which was launched earlier this month calling for the treaty to be scrapped, has now reached more than 1,100 signatures, taking it over the threshold requiring a ministerial response.
Lodged by Jeremy Strickland, the petition states that the Granville Bay Treaty favours the French and allows French authorities to license boats to fish in Jersey waters based on arbitrary, historical rights.
The treaty has been described as ‘broken’ by the Jersey Fishermen’s Association, which says that rather than enabling the management of fishing stocks, it is actually preventing this from happening.
JFA president Don Thompson said it was pleasing that Islanders were supporting fishermen.
‘It’s great to have public support for our industry and for the marine resources of Jersey,’ he said. ‘We look forward to the ministerial response, although we don’t expect it’ll have much content. It would be great if we could get to 5,000 signatures.’
Any petition signed by more than 5,000 people triggers a States Assembly debate on the matter.
Meanwhile, a delegation of French officials were due to visit the Island today for a meeting with their Jersey counterparts. The meeting of the joint management committee takes place as part of the Granville Bay Treaty, which was signed in 2000.
Concerns over the treaty have come into sharper focus recently as negotiations continue regarding the UK’s post-Brexit negotiations with the EU over fishing rights. These are due to be concluded by 31 December.
Jersey is not part of the UK/EU negotiations but could be affected if some French boats are displaced from UK waters. Mr Thompson has estimated that up to 55 boats could end up coming to the Bay of Granville, putting further pressure on fish stocks and threatening the livelihoods of fishermen from Jersey, Brittany and Normandy who currently operate in the area.
In February, fishermen took part in a protest in the Royal Square, calling for the government to take back control of Jersey’s territorial waters.
