Boris: We did not give ground to France
BORIS Johnson last night insisted Britain had faced down French threats on fishing after Paris was forced into a humiliating retreat.
The Prime Minister said the row over Channel permits was of “vanishingly small” importance compared to the war on climate change.
But he claimed the UK had not given any ground to France before it decided to pull the plug on a threatened blockade – and he denied the UK has “changed its position on the fishing issue”.
Instead Mr Johnson said: “We are working very, very closely with our French friends and partners on the things that matter most to the people of the world – tackling climate change, reducing CO2.”
Yet France still refused yesterday to release the British vessel, the
Cornelis Gert Jan, which is impounded in the port of Le Havre. UK Ministers said President Emmanuel Macron was right to “step back” from his threatened blockade hours before Monday’s midnight deadline.
With talks over the dispute scheduled to be held in Paris tomorrow, Environment Secretary George Eustice said he welcomed France’s U-turn and insisted Britain has tried to calm tensions.
He explained: “We have always said we want to de-escalate this and we have an ever-open door to discuss any further evidence France, or the EU, might have on any additional vessels they would like to have licensed.
“France has clearly taken a decision not to implement some of the decisions they threatened. But there is going to be a very important meeting on Thursday between Lord Frost and his opposite number, not just on fisheries but a wider range of issues.” A Whitehall source said: “We’re happy to talk but we stand by our methodology, which is in line with the trade agreement we agreed just last year.” Macduff Shellfish, owners of the Cornelis Gert Jan, said it expected the scallop vessel would not be released until after a hearing scheduled in Rouen today.
France wants more of its boats to be given permission to fish in waters around the UK, including the Channel Islands.
It had threatened to block British boats from docking in French ports as well as impose over-the-top border checks.
Downing Street has stated vessels must meet the conditions for fishing licences set out in the Brexit deal. Only boats that can show they have fished in UK waters for one day in each of the years between 2012 and 2016 qualify for a licence.
Ian Gorst, Jersey’s minister for external relations, called on France to drop all threats of retaliation.
He said: “The solution to the difficulties is to continue to talk.”