Fishermen clash in ‘scallop wars’

French and British fishermen fight on the high seas over shellfish

Stone-throwing, insults and dangerous manoeuvres on the high seas: French and British fishermen clashed in the English Channel over a hoard of scallops on Tuesday, the latest flare-up in a years-long war over the prized shellfish.

The British were heavily outnumbered at five boats to around 35 French vessels, according to maritime official Ingrid Parot, and were eventually chased from the scalloprich waters of the Baie de Seine area of Normandy. The skirmish took place more than 12 nautical miles out to sea, where the British are legally allowed to fish all year round.

Their French counterparts, restricted to fishing for scallops between October 1 and May 15, have accused the British of depleting stocks and want them to face the same rules.

“The French went to contact the British to stop them working and they clashed with each other. Apparently there was stone-throwing, but no injuries,” said Normandy fishing chief Dimitri Rogoff.

Rogoff said around 40 French boats had gathered overnight in protest at British “pillaging” of the scallop supply. Some of the boats rammed others, leaving holes in three vessels, footage from a local channel showed, as angry French fishermen threw smoke-bombs and hurled insults at the British. “We are advising all parties to be calm, as some vessels are manoeuvring very dangerously,” Barrie Deas, chief executive of Britain’s National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, told AFP.

Tensions have been high between British and French fishermen for some 15 years over the issue, leading to angry disputes that have been dubbed ‘Scallop Wars’. The two sides have reached annual agreements over the past five years but the French blocked a deal this year, according to Rogoff, who said they had had enough.

“For the Brits, it’s an open bar: they fish when they want, where they want, and as much as they want,” he complained.