New agreement to end scallop wars would be right outcome, minister says

Securing a new agreement to end the scallop wars in the English Channel would be “the right outcome”, Fisheries Minister George Eustice said.

Talks between British and French officials and industry representatives are being held in London on Wednesday after clashes between fishermen harvesting the shellfish off the coast of northern France.

About 35 French boats confronted five British craft off the coast of northern France last week, with UK crews reporting that rocks, smoke bombs and other projectiles were hurled at them during the confrontation.

The clashes have occurred in a scallop-rich area known as the Baie de Seine off the coast of Normandy.

National regulations allow British ships to fish legally in the area all year round, but French fishermen are banned from taking the molluscs between May 15 and October 1 to conserve stocks.

The clashes came after the breakdown of a 2013 agreement in which larger British vessels agreed not to fish in parts of the area, so they would be abiding by same conditions as the French fleet, in return for gaining more fishing opportunities.

It broke down this year after the French industry said they wanted the deal to be extended to smaller British boats.

“We all recognise the solution really is if we can get the voluntary agreement similar to the one that has stood the test of time over the previous five years, something similar to that back in place,” Mr Eustice said.

“We have officials from the French government, our own officials, both sides of the industry coming together to discuss this again, to see if they can get to back up an agreement similar to that which has pertained for the previous five years, which is the right outcome on this, if they can get a solution along those lines. ”

He also said he had received assurances from his opposite number Stephane Travert that additional resources had been put in place to the area – which is France’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the seas – to ensure there were no further problems.

“He was clear they are putting additional gendarmerie and resources to have the capacity there to deal with any further outbreaks,” he told a hearing of the parliamentary Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee.

But Mr Eustice said he was not aware of any prosecutions of French fisherman following the conflict.

Quizzed on whether, in light of the clashes, the UK had the resources to protect fishing in British waters after Brexit, he said preparations were being put in place, such as more protection vessels and looking at drone technology to assist with monitoring.

And he said: “It’s already the case we manage enforcement in our EEZ, we just have to abide by EU laws in our EEZ where in the future we will be an independent coastal state.”

Questioned on the impacts of a no-deal Brexit, he said: “The industry has nothing to fear from a no-deal Brexit , because fishing is one of the key areas where we would gain by having that more rapid control of our waters.

“Whether we have a deal or don’t have a deal, our view is we become an independent coastal state.”