Fishing row: British scallop trawler released as France backs down on immediate threats in Brexit feud
Environment Secretary George Eustice tells Sky News the impounded Cornelis Gert Jan, a Scottish-registered scallop dredger that had been detained by authorities in Le Havre, had now been released.
A British scallop trawler detained in a French port has now been released as France backed down in a post-Brexit fishing feud with the UK.
Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky News the impounded Cornelis Gert Jan, a Scottish-registered scallop dredger that had been detained by authorities in Le Havre, had now been released.
“I understand that vessel has now been released, and I think there’s going to need to be some further discussions, clearly there was an administrative error at some point,” he said.
“We haven’t quite got to the bottom of that, but that vessel I understand has been released.”
The captain of the vessel is reported to be an Irish citizen who has been told he faces a court hearing next August.
Mr Eustice also welcomed the fact that France had “stepped back” from threats of punitive action against the UK over the fishing dispute, which has seen Paris demand more licences for French vessels to fish in UK waters.
“We’ve always said we want to de-escalate this and always said we have an ever-open door to discuss any further evidence France or the EU might have on any additional vessels they’d like to have licensed,” he added.
“France has clearly taken a decision not to implement some of the decisions they threatened last Wednesday, we very much welcome that.
“But I think there’s going to be a very important meeting on Thursday between (Brexit minister) Lord Frost and his opposite number, not just on fisheries but a wider range of issues as well.”
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