Post-Brexit fishing: France “will continue the fight” with fishermen, assures Minister of the Sea – archyworldys

” Continue the fight “ for Annick Girardin, “To fight license after license, boat after boat” for Jean-Yves Le Drian before an appeal from Emmanuel Macron to a representative of the sector: the government reaffirmed, Sunday, November 21, its support for fishermen in obtaining fishing licenses in the Channel from the United Kingdom, as provided for in the post-Brexit deal.

“We fight every day for these boats, for these licenses and we will not give up anything at all”, assured the Minister of the Sea, traveling to Cape Gris-Nez (Pas-de-Calais) with fishermen from Hauts-de-France. “The interpretation that the English make of our files is inadmissible and does not respond to the good will of France”, she insisted.

M^me Girardin had mentioned, Thursday, the possible compensation of French fishermen who would find themselves without a fishing license in British waters because of Brexit, which had been seen as an admission of “Defeat” by industry professionals. M^me Girardin pointed out that “80% of files” were settled with “More than 960 licenses” of fishing granted. “But I have always said that we should not leave anyone on the edge of the quay”, she stressed.

“Today the British are exaggerating and exasperating pointillism”, for his part, declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, on LCI on Sunday, also promising to “Beat license after license, boat after boat”. “This is a test the UK is doing against the EU and the EU must demand respect for the agreement, he added. If they do not respect it, there are procedures that will follow. “

For his part, Emmanuel Macron spoke on Sunday by phone with the president of the regional fisheries committee, Olivier Leprêtre, for about fifteen minutes, according to the latter. He reminded her “That in no case would he let go of the history of the expected licenses and that he would not let down the French fishermen”, assured Mr. Leprêtre. Mr. Macron is counting on the French presidency of the EU, from January 1, to “Make the voice of French fishermen better heard within Europe”, continued the representative of the sector.

“Pissing off the English economy”

Mr. Leprêtre and other representatives of the fishermen, however, let it be known after the meeting that they remained determined to put in place measures to express their dissatisfaction. “It will be targeted. Not to piss off our economy or whatever. It will be more to piss off the English economy ”, explained Bruno Margollé, president of the Etaploise maritime cooperative.

President Emmanuel Macron had already tried, Friday, to reassure the fishermen. “We will not let go of our fishermen” and, “Before Christmas, France will have taken a position”, he had assured. Eleven months after Brexit, around 150 French boats are still awaiting authorizations to set their nets in British waters.