UK warns France in ‘fishing rights’ row
BRITAIN has told France “two can play at that game” in a warning the UK could retaliate if Paris goes ahead with “inflammatory” threats made in a post-brexit row over fishing rights.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss intended to challenge the French ambassador to the UK, Catherine Colonna, on France’s intentions late yesterday afternoon after taking the rare step of ordering an allied nation’s envoy to be summoned.
Claiming there is a lack of licences for French boats to fish in UK waters, Paris has threatened to block British boats from some ports and tighten checks on vessels travelling between France and the UK if the row is not resolved.
Meanwhile, the captain of the Scottish-registered scallop dredger detained in Le Havre during the diplomatic storm has been told to face a court hearing in August next year. The skipper is understood to be an Irish national.
French authorities allege the Cornelis Gert Jan vessel did not have a licence, a claim the boat’s owner Macduff Shellfish denies – however the European Union said the UK authorities withdrew the licence on March 1.
Environment Secretary George Eustice did not rule out blocking French vessels in retaliation as he struck out at a claim from France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune that the only language Britain understands is “the language of force”.
Mr Eustice told BBC Breakfast: “That is completely inflammatory and is the wrong way to go about things.”
Asked how the UK will respond if France does go ahead and block British trawlers, the Cabinet minister said: “Two can play at that game.”
He insisted any British response would be “proportionate”, adding: “It’s always open to us to increase the enforcement we do on French vessels, to board more of them if that’s what they’re doing to our vessels – there are other administrative things we can require of vessels.”
Pressed if the UK Government could block French vessels landing their catches in the UK, he responded: “If the French obviously do continue with this, then yes, we will take a proportionate response to that.”
Mr Eustice suggested French president Emmanuel Macron, who Downing Street confirmed Boris Johnson will talk to at the margins of the G20 summit in Rome, could be whipping up a row as he faces a difficult election in April during which votes in coastal communities will be hard-fought.
The Cabinet minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I don’t know, but there obviously is an election coming up in France, it may be that is a factor in this.”
Mr Eustice acknowledged that France detaining the British vessel may have been a “routine operation” but has received mainstream attention because French authorities last week “said they were going to introduce all sorts of problems and make life difficult for people”.
Andrew Brown, head of public affairs for the Scottish firm Macduff Shellfish, told the PA news agency: “The charge relates to fishing in French waters without a licence and that’s the bone of contention.
“We believe we were fishing with a valid licence and the French authorities don’t.”
Britain has said France’s threat would likely breach EU law and Ms Truss has said she will ask the ambassador “to explain the disappointing and disproportionate threats made against the UK and Channel Islands”.