France continues to be in need of about 150 post-Brexit fishing licences, Maritime Minister Annick Girardin stated on Friday, holding out the prospect of economic compensation for affected fishermen as talks on the matter proceed.
Rigidity over the licences prompted each nations to dispatch maritime vessels off the shores of Jersey this 12 months, with France briefly seizing in October a British fishing boat that had been in its waters.
“We are going to proceed to struggle every single day to get what needs to be ours and in order that these 150 licences arrive,” Girardin advised France Inter radio.
The dispute centres on the issuance of licences to fish in territorial waters six to 12 nautical miles off Britain’s shores, in addition to within the seas off Jersey, a crown dependency within the English Channel.
The neighbours have been at loggerheads over the variety of licences London allotted to French fishing boats after Britain left the European Union. France says many are lacking, whereas London says it’s respecting the deal.
(Reuters)