Fishing: the British trawler immobilized for a week in Le Havre has left

Published on : 11/03/2021 – 18:51Modified : 11/03/2021 – 18:52

The British trawler “Cornelis Gert Jan”, immobilized for a week in the port of Le Havre by the French authorities for illegal fishing in its territorial waters, was authorized Wednesday by the court of Rouen to resume sea.

The Scottish trawler “Cornelis Gert Jan”, immobilized in France for a week for having fished more than two tonnes of scallops without a license, left the port of Le Havre on Wednesday 3 November.

The ship cast off after a decision by the Rouen Court of Appeal, which authorized it “to leave Le Havre immediately without having to pay a deposit,” the captain’s lawyer, Mr.^e Mathieu Croix. The State had requested the immobilization of the trawler pending the payment of a deposit of 150,000 euros.

A case against a backdrop of Franco-British tensions

The French authorities had boarded the vessel last Wednesday, accusing it of operating illegally in French waters off Le Havre, against the backdrop of heightened tensions between France and the United Kingdom over fishing.

Paris had announced the day before the introduction, from November 2, of retaliatory measures against the United Kingdom, including the ban on access to French ports for British fishing vessels and the strengthening of border and health controls on British imports.

These measures have not been implemented for the time being by France. President Emmanuel Macron announced from Glasgow, on the sidelines of COP26, that bilateral discussions on fisheries would continue.

>> To read also: “Litigation over fishing: France announces a meeting on Friday at the European Commission”

Disagreements between the UK and France over fishing grounds close to their coasts go back decades, but have deepened since Brexit.

The situation deteriorated in September when Paris accused London of not having awarded enough licenses to French boats to fish in the area between 6 and 12 nautical miles from the English coast.

Even if fishing is not a key economic activity for France or the United Kingdom, the conflict comes at a bad time on the diplomatic front. The two countries blame each other for a political use of this conflict.

With AFP and Reuters

A case against a backdrop of Franco-British tensions

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