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Paul Bizec, the director of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association, told GB News the situation has become dire for Jersey fishermen as France has demanded the UK give them a further 75 fishing boat licences on top of the 100 already in French fisherman hands. The comments come amid a ferocious post-Brexit row which has led to French politicians threatening to cut the power supply to Jersey.
Mr Bizec warned: “We won’t have an industry in five years because the French are just so greedy!”
He slammed how “they want all our waters” as they continue to demand more and more access to UK fishing spots despite new post-Brexit rules being brought in to take control of the access French boats have.
The desperate fisherman went on to claim how Jersey fishermen have “never had more than 70-vessels before”.
But the French, he claimed, are “trying to get a total of 140 to 200” as he laid down his argument to keep them out of Britain’s waters despite the ferocious reactions which could follow.
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He speculated how with every rule placed on them to limit their fishing activity “they are going to cry like babies” as he explained how the fishing row has spun out of control.
Mr Bizec went on to slam how “all the time” the French “will cry to try and benefit themselves”.
The chaos follows new post-Brexit rules in the Withdrawal Agreement that state fishermen have to prove they have already fished in British waters before Brexit to be granted a licence in the 6- to 12-nautical-mile zone of Britain’s waters, but many are not submitting the correct documents or simply following the correct procedures.
Tensions over the licence row took a new turn last Wednesday when French Prime Minister Jean Castex slammed the UK are threatening “bi-lateral relations” with the dispute as he argued they don’t give the French enough passes as agreed in the Withdrawal Agreement.
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Red-faced Mr Castex screamed “Great Britain does not respect its own signature” before adding how France “will question all of the agreements reached under the supervision of the European Union” as he threatened to drag Britain to the European courts over the chaos.
While in a furious threat, the French prime minister added how “if needs be” France will also question “bi-lateral collaborations that we have with the United Kingdom in multiple domains” – these include deals on trade, security and migration.
It comes as fears are rising on Jersey following threats made by head of the Normandy Fisheries Committee, Dimitri Rogoff, who last week claimed that Normandy fishermen were “ready to attack St Helier” over the licences and would cut power supplies to the island.
His comments were backed up by French European Affairs minister Clement Beaune who told France’s BFM-TV that ”reducing supplies [of electricity to Jersey] is possible” but he stressed “cutting the power to every Jersey resident this winter is something that will not happen and something that I do not want”.
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Despite the demands from France, chief Brexit negotiator Lord Frost has insisted Britain had been “extremely generous” with the offers.
But the offers were spectacualrly thrown back in Britain’s face after French fisherman sparked chaos when launched a blockade on Jersey ports back in April which resulted in the Royal Navy being scrambled to ease tensions.
UK lawmakers have said it is open to further discussion with the boats it had rejected, but French fishing industry representatives have now threatened a blockade of Calais to disrupt cross-Channel trade alongside threats to the power supply on Jersey if they do not get what they want.
It comes as patience in Paris has worn thin over what French officials call Britain’s failure to honour its word since Brexit, over fishing and also London’s demand to renegotiate the Northern Ireland Protocol aimed at maintaining the integrity of the EU single market.
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