France says Jersey has proposed delaying new restrictions on French fishing

The Channel island of Jersey has proposed delaying new post-Brexit restrictions on French fishermen and the French government will respond in writing in the coming hours, French Seas Minister Annick Girardin said on Tuesday.

Last week Girardin suggested that France could cut power supplies to Jersey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency, if its fishermen were not granted full access to UK fishing waters under post-Brexit trading terms.

As the dispute flared, both France and Britain sent patrol vessels into Jersey waters after a flotilla of French trawlers sailed in protest to Jersey’s main harbour.

France is angry that on April 30 Jersey issued licences with what the Paris government called unilaterally imposed conditions, including the time French fishing vessels could spend in Jersey’s waters.

But Girardin told parliament the island has proposed pushing back the implementation of the restrictions.

“Jersey has just proposed to delay the technical restrictions until the end of July. In the coming hours, France will respond in writing,” she said.

Girardin said Jersey had delivered only 41 licences to French fishermen despite 266 requests

She said that while Jersey had the right to legislate fishing issues in its waters, it needed to inform the European Commission via London so that the European Union and France could react.