The French maritime patrol has escorted a British vessel caught fishing off the northern coast of France without a license to the port of Le Havre, while another British ship was fined for disobeying the maritime patrol, the French Sea Ministry said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2021) The French maritime patrol has escorted a British vessel caught fishing off the northern coast of France without a license to the port of Le Havre, while another British ship was fined for disobeying the maritime patrol, the French Sea Ministry said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, a French maritime patrol boat was inspecting the area near the port city of Le Havre and caught two British ships fishing in the French waters. The first vessel initially prevented troops from boarding, but after a warning, its crew obeyed orders. The vessel was fined for "obstruction of control," no other violation was reported during the checks, according to the ministry.
"The second English vessel checked while fishing in French waters was not on the licensing lists given to the United Kingdom by the European Commission and France. The director of the department of territorial affairs and maritime affairs immediately issued an order diverting it to the port of Le Havre. The maritime gendarmerie patrol ship thus ordered the fishing vessel caught in violation to follow it to the port of Le Havre," the ministry said in a statement.
Under the judicial procedure, the violation can result in "the confiscation of the fishery," as well as to "detention of a sea vessel" and payment of bail. The crew captain is at risk of criminal liability, the ministry explained.
The French government said on Wednesday that it will impose first sanctions against the United Kingdom over the fishery dispute as early as November 2, a move condemned by London.
In line with the Brexit trade deal, EU fishermen are eligible to fish in the UK waters. However, Paris has been outraged by London's refusal to issue sufficient fishing licenses for French boats to access British waters.
In early October, French Prime Minister Jean Castex called on the European Commission to strictly monitor the UK's compliance with commitments under the agreement on fishing rights. He did not rule out that bilateral cooperation with London might be reviewed if it fails to adhere to the post-Brexit arrangements.
In late September, the British Ministry of the Environment reported that 1,700 vessels from the EU received licenses to fish in the UK waters, of which 117 were issued to vessels from the EU for fishing in a zone of 6-12 nautical miles. The ministry issued only 12 licenses to French fishermen, having considered 47 applications.
