London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Jersey fishing: What's the row between UK and France about?

Jersey fishing: What's the row between UK and France about?

French fishing boats have been protesting outside the port of St Helier in Jersey, in a dispute over access to waters around the island.

France claims that unfair terms have been imposed, and it's threatening to cut off Jersey's electricity supplies in retaliation.

Why are French fishermen angry?


The French authorities say new rules governing access for foreign fishing boats to Jersey's territorial waters are unacceptable.

Under post-Brexit rules, which came into force this month, 41 licences or permits have been issued to French fishing vessels to operate in Jersey's waters.

Access has been granted based on how much fishing they did there between February 2017 and January 2020.

But while some French boats have provided comprehensive information about the amount of fishing they have done in the past, others haven't.

That means 17 of the 41 boats have been given much less access than they were expecting. If the owners produce more evidence, Jersey says, their licences can be amended to give them more.

But France says there was no consultation about other new conditions affecting all boats which, it says, "were not arranged or discussed, and which we were not notified about".

What are these conditions?


The Jersey government has added what it calls two "very minor" conservation measures to the new access agreement, dealing with dredging and nesting areas. It argues that neither of them are unreasonable.

France argues that the new rules create restricted zones, and limit the kind of fishing equipment which can be used.

They say many of their local boats could be put out of business, and smaller boats would also be affected.

If Jersey's position does not change, France is reserving the right to retaliate.

It's worth noting that the current dispute does not involve other Channel Islands, such as Guernsey.


What kind of action could France take?


France has threatened to cut electricity supplies to Jersey.

An estimated 95% of the island's electricity arrives by undersea cables from France, which is only 14 miles away.

This may be just tough talk, but France would theoretically be within their rights to take this action.

The Brexit deal says that in some cases, both the UK and the EU can respond to a breach of one part of the agreement - eg in fishing - by imposing sanctions in another area (electricity supplies).

But they would have to prove that the agreement really had been breached, and that would take some time.

Who decides?


Jersey's status is complicated because it is not part of the UK, and it was never part of the European Union.

It is what's known as a Crown dependency, which means it has substantial freedom from Westminster, and exercises day-to-day control over its fishing waters.

However, the UK government is ultimately responsible for its international relationships. That's why access to fishing waters around the Channel Islands are dealt with specifically in the new UK-EU trade agreement.


What's the EU's position?


The European Commission backs France and says the terms of the trade deal are not being respected.

The UK says it informed the European Commission about the new licences - but the Commission says this happened only one day before they came into effect, giving no time for any discussion.

Many of these technical issues could well be resolved by holding further talks. But negotiations on fishing are always rather fraught.

French fishermen protesting off the coast of Jersey
Does this reflect wider disputes?


The row about access to Jersey waters comes at a sensitive time.

More general negotiations are taking place between UK and EU officials about the division of quotas this year for shared fishing stocks.

And there have been other protests. Last month French fishermen blocked the French port of Boulogne to try to prevent imports of fish caught by British boats.

They were complaining about restricted access to fishing in waters between six and 12 nautical miles from the British coastline, and seeking guarantees that they would be able to unload their catch at British ports.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×