French and British fisherman have achieved compromise over a dispute on scallop fishing in the English Channel, according to an official form the French Agriculture Ministry as quoted by Reuters.
The dispute arose as Britain negotiates its exit from the European Union and concerned the size of boats that are allowed to fish in Baie de Seine waters, where scallops can be found in large quantities.
In particular, French fishermen had accused the British of unfairly catching scallops in the region over this summer, when French boats are banned from doing so due to national regulations which aim at protecting shellfish stocks.
The rows had taken a wide extent as some French and British fisherman threw rocks and other projectiles at each other. Earlier this month, France warned it would deploy the navy if necessary in what has been dubbed the ‘scallop wars’.
Now an agreement has been reached and will be passed on to authorities in the two countries to be finalized, the source said.
This means our over-15-meter fleet will get the days at sea it wanted, while allowing the under-15-meter fleet to continue fishing in the area,
…commented British fisheries minister George Eustice, welcoming the deal.
Fishing rights are expected to become an increasingly sensitive issue for the day after Brexit in 2019.
