French urge boycott of British fish in scallops war

MILITANT French fishermen yesterday demanded a boycott of British-caught scallops as the war over fishing rights intensified.

They are furious that British fishermen have harvested scallops in the Bay of Seine when they are banned from going to sea.

Over the last few days, French fishermen have rammed British boats, pelted them with rocks and threatened to block crossChannel shipping.

Now they are calling for ‘actions on land’ to force French shops and restaurateurs to stop selling scallops imported from the UK.

‘Now they are likely to turn over shopping trolleys in supermarkets and target restaurants,’ said

‘Endangering

livelihoods’

a French source. Paul Francoise, president of the Calvados Fishermen’s Association, said: ‘These imports are undermining local industries, reducing precious shellfish stocks and endangering the livelihoods of fishermen’.

Francois Richer, 42, a scallop fisherman for 20 years, said: ‘We have to take action to stop the scallops being wiped out by English and Scottish fishermen.

‘It takes a French fishing boat three weeks to fish for what an English or Scottish trawler can get in one day.

‘French fishermen are banned from fishing for scallops in the summer and Europe should insist it is the same for everyone else.’

Fisherman Claude Milliner said: ‘There is no solution – we should just open all the fishing to everyone and after a year there will be no scallops left.’