Tension in the Channel: Britain and France send military ships to island for fishing boat protest

BRUSSELS (AFP) .- The authorities of Jersey, the largest island in the English Channel and a British Crown dependency off the north coast of France, are on the alert for the escalation of tension in the middle of a demonstration of French fishermen, who claim that their rights in the region were affected after the Brexit, the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

About 80 ships were sailing in a protest which blocked the port of Saint Helier from 7 a.m. local time, prompting the reaction of the The British and French governments, who sent patrols to the English-speaking island.

HMS Severn and HMS Tamar were the ships deployed by the Government of Boris Johnson, which indicated that the measure was only taken to monitor the situation, although it was revealed that the patrol cars were armed, which was called a backlash, according to what was published by The newspaper The Guardian.

However, London claimed it was “a strictly preventive measure, according to the Jersey government”.

The French government, for its part, led by Emmanuel Macron, sent two small ships, the coastal patrol vessel Athos and the maritime affairs vessel Themis, to the region for guarantee security navigation and the protection of human life at sea ”, according to the authorities.

In response to the UK’s position, French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune indicated that British “maneuvers” “They shouldn’t impress.”

While the protest is expected to continue, there is hope for negotiations to advance as the Jersey government has said Environment Minister Gregory Guida and Foreign Secretary Ian Gorst s ‘would meet with the leaders of the fishermen. . They are expected to depart on a boat to the area but, due to restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic, conversations will involve shouting from ship to ship.

The UK and France have been at odds over the fishing issue for several weeks, after French fishermen denounced their ban on fishing in UK waters due to the difficulties in obtaining licenses after the nation’s departure from the European bloc.

Added to this are new requirements the UK set on Friday for French fishing vessels’ access to Jersey territorial waters, creating new zoning rules for neighboring waters. The Macron administration understands that these rules have no effect since London has not notified the European Commission and that they are not part of the negotiated agreement. in the context of Brexit.

In this context, the European Union has supported French fishermen. In a statement released last night, the commission said the conditions established for licenses to fish in the conflicting waters violate the trade deal reached months ago.

Photos: AFP Y DPA

Photo montage: Enrique Villegas

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