French and British vessels clash in battle over scallops

Dispute centers around lack of restrictions on British fishing

LONDON — Footage shown on British television was dramatic: French and British vessels ramming into each other, fishermen shouting insults, smoke bombs hurtling through the air. Welcome to the 2018 Scallop Wars. In the latest installment in the longrunning feud over the humble scallop, French and British boats clashed Tuesday in the English Channel just off the coast of France. In the early hours of the morning, around 40 French vessels reportedly chased away five British vessels from an area known for its scalloprich waters.

The two sides have clashed on the issue for over a decade. In an effort to help build up scallop stocks, the French are allowed to fish in the waters only between Oct. 1 and May 15. But the British are not subject to the same rules.

French fisherman accuse the British of having an unfair advantage and plundering their stocks, while the Brits accuse the French of piracy.

Normandy fishing chief Dimitri Rogoff said that the French vessels were indeed trying to stop the British from fishing in the waters, but just until the season got started.

“For the Brits, it’s an open bar — they fish when they want, where they want, and as much as they want,” he told the BBC. “We don’t want to stop them from fishing, but they could at least wait until Oct. 1 so that we can share.

“Scallops are a flagship product for Normandy, a primary resource and a highly sensitive issue,” he said.

Barrie Deas, chief executive of Britain’s National Federation of Fisherman’s Organizations, said the French actions are dangerous.

“It’s alarming because of the French tactics and potential danger for the crews of the boats involved — both on our boats and the French boats,” he told The Washington Post. “We have disputes from time to time. The proper place to resolve them is around the table.”

Britain’s government said in a statement the fisherman were “operating in an area they are legally entitled to fish,” adding it was in contact with the French to “prevent further incidents from occurring.”

British media reported that at least two British boats were damaged in the skirmish.