Scallop war: French and British boats clash in Channel

Image copyright EVN/France Télévision Image caption British boats are legally entitled to fish off the Normandy coast – however their French counterparts accuse them of “pillaging”

A video published by French media appears to show a Scottish scallop dredger, the Honeybourne THREE, colliding with nearby vessels.

The British could not fit the local armada. Numbering approximately five boats to 35 French vessels, they were in the end chased away.

Why has all of it blown up now?

Stress has rumbled for 15 years, however in the past 5 a deal has prevailed – higher British boats stayed out of the realm in alternate for extra fishing rights.

British boats collected scallops year-round, but the French were restricted to between 1 October and 15 May.

This yr, the fed-up French rejected that settlement.

“For the Brits, it is an open bar – they fish when they need, where they would like, and as much as they would like,” Mr Rogoff complained.

Symbol copyright Reuters Image caption Scallops are a popular shellfish on each side of the Channel

“We Don’t want to stop them from fishing, however they could no less than wait until 1 October so that we will be able to proportion.

“Scallops are a flagship product for Normandy, a first-rate useful resource and a extremely sensitive factor.”

How have the Brits reacted?

Mike Park, leader govt of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association, described the clashing incident as “transparent piracy”.

Talking in regards to the Scottish boat, he told BBC Scotland: “He’s fully entitled to be there. UK vessels can enter that French zone, it’s not illegal.

“The Peterhead vessel is going approximately its business. The French vessels are most certainly attacking it.”

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Appeals for calm had been issued by means of Britain’s National Federation of Fishermen’s Enterprises, which mentioned some boats have been filmed manoeuvring dangerously.

“we have raised the matter with the British executive and requested for cover for our vessels, which are fishing legitimately,” its leader government, Barrie Deas, mentioned.

“The deeper issues at the back of the clashes have to be settled via talking around the desk, now not at the top seas the place other people might be harm.”

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