London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 26, 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
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
×