Paris: France may retaliate against the United Kingdom if London fails to fulfill the post-Brexit agreements on fishing rights, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Sunday.
The tensions off Jersey island in the English Channel, where a flotilla of around 60 French fishing boats protested against the fishing quotas, flared up on Wednesday after France reportedly threatened to cut the electrical supply to Jersey, which, although a UK crown dependency, is geographically closer to the French coast than the UK. London responded by deploying patrol ships to the areas, prompting Paris to do the same.
“We want the agreements to be respected. If they are not fulfilled, retaliatory measures may follow,” Attal said on the air of France 3 broadcaster commenting on the possibility to cut the electrical supply to Jersey.
Fishing rights were one of the stumbling blocks in the negotiations of the post-Brexit trade deal following the UK’s exit from the EU in January last year.
Despite signing a trade agreement in December, France has been accusing the UK of preventing French fishing boats from operating in the British waters. The French foreign ministry has also announced plans to use all its leverage to preserve its fisheries in the UK waters.
