Blocking fishermen: “We have a capacity to paralyze the British economy”, says the National Committee – Franceinfo

The French national fisheries committee announced the blocking on Friday November 26 of access to three ports and to the Channel tunnel for goods. He intends to put pressure on the British government in particular to obtain the rapid granting of post-Brexit fishing licenses. “Our coordinated action is intended to show that we have an ability to block ports, block the Channel Tunnel and therefore cripple the UK economy”, explained Thursday, on franceinfo the director general of the national committee of maritime fisheries and marine farming.

“The idea is not to cause harm but to show that we have a capacity to mobilize ourselves”

Jean-Luc Le Hall

to franceinfo

Jean Luc Hall wishes that this “could allow the British authorities to reflect on the issues”. THEth Director General of the National Committee for Maritime Fisheries and Marine Farming considers that, with regard to trade between the European Union and the United Kingdom after Brexit, the “United Kingdom is the only one to benefit 100% from the agreement reached on December 24”. According to him, fishing companies that do not have access to British waters are experiencing a loss of turnover of the order of “30 to 50%”.

“It is not normal that eleven months later, we are still at the same point on a certain number of files”, adds the director general of the National Maritime Fisheries Committee. He notably cites the notion of “replacement vessels” i.e. new vessels launched to replace old vessels “which is foreseen by the agreement and which at this stage has not made any significant progress”. ” We have ships which have recently entered the fleet, for which the drafts are important, which have no visibility, do not know the reasons that block “, indicates Jean-Luc Hall.

He asks the European Commission “more firmness, since it is the European Commission which is supposed to apply this agreement”. Jean-Luc Le Hall considers that the ultimatum that the Commission has just sent to the United Kingdom is a first “encouraging sign”: “That is to say that if on December 10 we do not have significant progress, a priori it could implement the retaliatory measures provided for by the agreement”.