Some of those within the Normandy and Brittany fleets say they are not only angry about the number of licences issued but also the possibility of new ‘technical restrictions’ that could be implemented by Jersey and the UK on fishermen post-Brexit.
These include, they say, restrictions on some species that are not currently controlled by quotas.
A notice being circulated amongst fishing committees said vessels were also planning to target Calais – which is used to export the majority of products into the UK from Europe – and Ouistreham.
Condor had been due to operate a service to St Malo tomorrow but this has been cancelled – along with crossings over the next two days – due to strong winds expected to begin hitting the islands later today.
Meanwhile, Annick Girardin, the French Minister of the Sea, and other members of France’s government have been criticised after announcing a 40–60-million-euro ‘fleet reduction plan’.
If enacted, the scheme would allow Gallic vessels which do not hold a licence and cannot operate profitably without one to sell their boats to the country’s government.
The French Senate’s European Affairs Committee and its Economic Affairs Committee have questioned whether – a few weeks after announcing supposed ‘retaliatory measures’ which included potentially hiking the price of electricity to Jersey – the country’s government was now giving up.
