Jersey news – live: Royal Navy warships stood down as French fishing boats leave St Helier after protest
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Your support makes all the difference.French fishing vessels are now sailing away from St Helier in Jersey following a protest over post-Brexit fishing rights. Several dozen small craft took part in the demonstration on Thursday morning.
France’s navy dispatched two coastal patrol vessels to monitor the protest, while Britain deployed two Royal Navy ships, HMS Severn and HMS Tamar, to conduct a similar task.
However, despite rising tensions, the UK will “absolutely not” go to war with France over the fishing dispute, Jersey’s foreign minister has said.
Ian Gorst told TalkRadio threats from Paris about cutting off Jersey’s electricity were “totally disproportionate to the technical issues” of implementing Brexit, but that diplomatic solutions were needed.
On Thursday he said he had “positive” talks with the French fishing crews.
French trawlers call off protest
Here’s our lead story - French trawlers have called off a protest at Jersey harbour without resolution of a dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights which has seen the UK accused of breaching its trade deal with the European Union.
More below:
France sends patrol boats to Jersey as post-Brexit tensions rise
Two Royal Navy vessels on scene as French trawlers attempt to blockade Channel island port
Mark Steel: Nothing says ‘easiest trade deal in history’ quite like gunboats deployed to Jersey
How dare the French assault poor little Jersey, whose only industries are fish, potatoes and international tax fiddling - writes Mark Steel for our voices section.
Here’s his take:
Nothing says ‘easiest trade deal in history’ quite like gunboats deployed to Jersey | Mark Steel
Yes, this Brexit stuff is all going very well indeed
‘T hey don’t mess around. They can blockade their own harbours - they wouldn’t think twice about coming and doing it to us'
One of the island's local fishermen Josh Dearing said French vessels had first gathered from about 4.30am outside the harbour, before moving in towards the port after 6am and retreating little over an hour later.
Mr Dearing, who owns The Jersey Catch fishing company, said there had been rumblings about a planned protest a few days ago, but he added that he had not been sure if it was "serious or empty threats".
He said: "The French being the French, they don't mess around. They can blockade their own harbours - they wouldn't think twice about coming and doing it to us."
He was "absolutely" pleased to hear the news that Royal Navy vessels were being deployed to patrol the waters around the island.
He said: "We're completely unprotected in Jersey. We've got nothing except for a few police officers. We don't have a police boat, we don't have a navy boat, we don't have anything to protect us.
"The French can be hostile. All of our livelihoods are in that harbour and if they wanted to they could cause damage."
EU calls for ‘restraint’ over UK-France fisheries dispute
ICYMI: European Commission says UK is breaking Brexit trade deal
The European Commission has told Britain that the conditions imposed on licences for French fishing vessels in Jersey territorial waters breach the terms of the EU/UK trade deal, a Brussels spokesperson has said.
More below:
EU says UK is breaking Brexit trade deal amid Jersey fishing row
Licences for French boats do not meet terms of deal agreed by Boris Johnson, says Brussels
The War with France is over – trouble is, the next skirmish with the European Union won’t be so funny
The decision to realign British interests and to set them against a powerful union of all the countries around us has already had consequences more serious than the posturing off the coast of Jersey - Tom Peck writes
More below:
The war is over! But the next skirmish with the EU won’t be so funny | Tom Peck
The decision to realign British interests and to set them against a powerful union of all the countries around us has already had consequences more serious than the posturing off the coast of Jersey
French fishermen ‘protested peacefully and respectfully’ - Jersey government official
Representatives from the Government of Jersey said they held a "constructive meeting" with French fishermen on Thursday.
Jersey's Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondre said: "The French fishermen protested peacefully and respectfully, and were able to set out their concerns directly to Government representatives.
"We recognise that there have been challenges in the implementation of the new trade agreement. Speaking directly to the fishermen has enabled both parties to better understand how those challenges will be addressed, and we are proposing the establishment of a forum which will enable the Government of Jersey to continue to engage with all fishermen in the region openly and constructively.
"I'd like to thank Deputy Guida and all the other parties whose work has enabled the French fishermen to leave Jersey knowing that they had been listened to, and that a step has been taken towards resolving the issues that have arisen during the move to the new trade agreement."
The 90-minute meeting was held between Jersey's assistant minister for the environment, Deputy Gregory Guida, Government of Jersey officers, and representatives from some of the estimated 56 French vessels which arrived to protest outside the port of St Helier in the morning.
In order to comply with Jersey's coronavirus guidelines, the government representatives used the Norman Le Brocq Fisheries boat, while the French fishermen were onboard another vessel.
Royal Navy warships prepare for return to port
A UK Government spokesman said the Royal Navy vessels would now prepare to return to port.
"We are pleased that French fishing boats have now left the vicinity of Jersey," the spokesman said.
"Given the situation is resolved for now, the Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels will prepare to return to port in the UK. We remain on standby to provide any further assistance Jersey requests.
"The Trade and Cooperation Agreement brought in changes to fishing arrangements between the UK and the EU.
"Jersey authorities have a right to regulate fisheries in their waters under this agreement and we support them in exercising those rights.
"We will work with Jersey to support the discussions under way with the European Commission.”
‘the answer to this solution is to continue to talk and diplomacy'
Earlier Jersey's external relations minister, Ian Gorst, said the island's authorities were "extremely grateful" to the UK Government for its prompt deployment of the patrol boats HMS Severn and HMS Tamar.
However he insisted that they wanted to find a diplomatic solution to de-escalate the situation.
"It's important that we respond to threats, but the answer to this solution is to continue to talk and diplomacy," he told BBC News.
Bemusement in France as media yawn at Jersey ‘war’
The British press has worked itself into a frenzy over the Jersey fishing row, with the words “war” and even “Nazis” appearing in headlines. But in France the media has given the issue an enormous Gallic shrug.
Here’s what’s going on:
Bemusement in France as media yawn at Jersey ‘war’
Crisis, what crisis? Events in Jersey may have made massive – and lurid – headlines in the UK, but in France the media has given it one big Gallic shrug
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