Jersey refuses licences to 75 French fishing boats

French fishing boats protested the introduction of a licensing scheme in May

Jersey has refused fishing licences to 75 French fishing vessels to access its waters from 30 October.

Licences have been offered to 64 vessels which applied to fish in the Channel Island's waters.

Temporary licences for 31 vessels which need to provide further evidence of previous fishing have also been offered by the Government of Jersey.

The arrangement follows a dispute which saw French boats blockading St Helier harbour in protest in May.

Fresh tensions have also emerged between Britain and France over post-Brexit fishing rights after the UK offered only 12 licences to smaller French fishing boats from 47 applications.

In Jersey some vessels were offered licences earlier in the year, with Wednesday's announcement taking the total number of fully licensed boats to 111.

The licensing system has been introduced as a result of the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) signed between the UK and EU.

Under the TCA, access to Jersey's waters depends on being able to demonstrate evidence of having fished there in the past.

All unlicensed vessels must stop fishing in Jersey waters from 30 October.

'Evidence-based approach'

Licence conditions regarding how many days at sea vessels can operate and what gear they can use remain suspended while negotiations continue, the government explained.

Jersey's Environment Minister John Young, said the system would ensure "fishing effort in our waters is similar to pre-Brexit"

He said boats with an "economic dependence on Jersey waters" who have provided evidence of fishing there regularly will receive licences.

Deputy Young said: "We've been flexible in the kinds of positional evidence we've accepted, using VMS [vessel monitoring system] information, commercially available Automatic Identification System data, logbooks, chart plotters and other written information."

'Contravene the agreement'

External Relations Minister Ian Gorst said Jersey had "maintained a pragmatic, reasonable and evidence-based approach" to the licensing system.

He explained it was time for the transitional period to end and thanked the UK, EU and French authorities for efforts providing them with additional data.

"We will continue to have an open door to further data and evidence of fishing activity, including for vessels which have already been considered, and we look forward to working collaboratively to resolve the remaining complex issues," Senator Gorst added.

The French government condemned the decisions by British and Jersey authorities to refuse to issue all the licences requested by French fishermen.

Spokesman Gabriel Attal described them as "totally unacceptable and inadmissible decisions" that "contravene the agreement that was signed in the framework of Brexit".

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