London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

UK fishing boat still held by French, despite minister George Eustice's claim

UK fishing boat still held by French, despite minister George Eustice's claim

A British trawler, seized by France last week, is still being held in Le Harve, despite suggestions from the environment secretary to the contrary.

Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, George Eustice said he thought the Cornelis Gert Jan had been released.

However, Macduff Shellfish, the owners of the boat said it was still impounded.

And Downing Street later confirmed that the fishing vessel remained in the French port.

The seizure of the boat comes amid a diplomatic row between the UK and France over licences allowing French boats to fish in British waters.

France accused the UK of denying permits to French fishermen and threatened to retaliate by blocking British boats from French ports and tightening border checks on British goods.

The UK insisted it was sticking to the post-Brexit EU-UK agreement and warned it would take legal action unless France withdrew its threats.

Mr Eustice told the BBC there had been "constructive talks" between the two countries on Monday and that further discussions would continue over the week.

French Maritime Minister Annick Giardin said her government wanted the British to provide, by the end of Tuesday, a document "detailing the conditions for obtaining licenses for the 14 vessels in the 6-12 nautical mile zone".

She also urged Jersey to reconsider the cases of 13 vessels which she said should be given licences "very quickly".

Asked about the seized trawler, Mr Eustice said there had been some "administrative confusion" but added that he did not think the vessel was still being held by the French.

However, Macduff Shellfish later said they were "not aware" that their trawler had been released by French authorities.

Andrew Brown, the company's director of sustainability and public affairs, said: "Right now we are tied up seeking to secure the release of the vessel.

"Our understanding is that the vessel remains held at Le Havre at least until the hearing takes place tomorrow (Wednesday)."


Sources at the environment department told the BBC the boat's impoundment is viewed as a "routine enforcement action" by the French and is not connected to the wider fishing row, so is unlikely to be raised as part of negotiations on licences.

However, last week Ms Girardin said standard checks on British vessels had been undertaken against "the backdrop of the tightening of controls in the Channel, in the context of discussions on licences with the United Kingdom and the European Commission".

She added that the trawler had been fishing in the Bay of Seine without the proper licences.

Macduff Shellfish has said the boat had a licence to fish in EU waters earlier this year and that it did not yet understand why the vessel had been removed from the authorised list.

It added that the cost of allowing the vessel to return to the UK would be decided at the court hearing in Rouen on Wednesday morning.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
×