France backed down on its threats to clog up British trade and ban UK fishers from its ports after Jersey offered to expedite approval for “five or six” new fishing vessels in its waters, reports The Guardian.
Ian Gorst, Jersey’s minister for external affairs, said the offer from his administration and the UK government had proven to be a “good way to move things forward”.
Paris had set a deadline of midnight on Monday by which it demanded further licences, only for Emmanuel Macron to announce he would shelve his government’s plans after last-ditch talks called by the European Commission.
“It’s not while we’re negotiating that we’re going to impose sanctions,” the French president had told reporters in Glasgow, where he was attending Cop26.
The boats expected to have their approval expedited are replacements for old vessels that have a track record of having fished in the coastal waters of the UK and Jersey.
Gorst said, however, that there appeared to have been a realisation in Paris as the talks had gone on that triggering its threats would lead to “entrenched positions”.
He said: “There are some issues around replacement vessels that we can sort out earlier than we might have envisaged, that is for both us and the UK.
“I think that would be quite a good way to move things forward and allow more time. Of the vessels that the EU is asking us to reconsider, at least a handful, about five or six, are replacement vessels …
“The French have taken the view that it is better to try and to deal with the individual vessels than trigger counter-measures whereby everybody will become entrenched.”
The French government has said that half of the vessels applying to fish in UK and Jersey waters have been rejected unfairly, and in breach of the trade and cooperation agreement.
The UK and Jersey have said they will issue licences only to boats that meet the test of being able to prove that they have previously operated in their coastal waters.
Jersey has so far rejected 55 applicants, of which “five or six” are replacements, but Gorst said his government was willing to examine “boat by boat” any new evidence for the rest.