Patrol boats withdrawn after row intensifies
PARIS: Britain withdrew its Royal Navy vessels from the waters off Jersey yesterday but said it would remain on standby to support the Channel island after a dispute with France over postBrexit fishing rights escalated rapidly.
France and Britain both deployed maritime patrol vessels to the area on Thursday after a flotilla of French trawlers sailed in protest to Jersey’s main harbour and a French minister suggested earlier in the week that Paris might cut electricity to the island.
French fishermen say they are being unfairly deprived of access to rich fishing grounds off the coast of Jersey, a British Crown Dependency.
Jersey says it is following the rules for issuing licences set out in Britain’s postBrexit trade deal with the European Union. Britain said it backed Jersey. The EU called for calm.
After the French fishing boats left the area, Britain said its Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels would prepare to return to port in the UK as the ‘‘situation is resolved for now’’.
‘‘We are pleased that French fishing boats have now left the vicinity of Jersey,’’ a Government spokeswoman said.
‘‘We remain on standby to provide any further assistance Jersey requests.’’
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who led the 2016 Brexit campaign, had cast the trade deal as a way to take back control of the United Kingdom’s destiny after Brexit.
An official from the French presidency said the deployment from both France and Britain was aimed at preventing clashes between trawlers on opposing sides of the row.
France is angry that on April 30 Jersey issued 41 licences with what the French Government called unilaterally imposed conditions, including the time French fishing vessels could spend in Jersey’s waters.
Normandy Regional Fisheries Committee spokesman Hugo Lehuby said talks between island officials and the fishermen’s representatives were not positive.
‘‘Either this gets resolved, or retaliatory measures are taken,’’ Lehuby said.
Jersey officials have said the accord stipulates licences take into account how much time a vessel spent in Jersey’s waters before Brexit. Britain’s Brexit negotiator David Frost said under the terms of the trade deal, Jersey could regulate fishing in its waters.
The European Commission said until further justifications had been provided by Britain, Jersey officials should not attach new conditions to licences. — Reuters