French Fishermen Block British Shipments In Brexit Protest

French fishermen on Thursday blocked lorries carrying UK-landed fish as they arrived in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Europe’s largest seafood processing centre.

The men have been angered by the slow issuance of licenses to fish inside British waters after Brexit and gathered as part of a protest action against the delay.

Britain’s post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union allowed the bloc’s fishermen to keep fishing deep into British waters, but only once they had received a license.

Bruno Margolle, who heads the main fishermen’s cooperative in Boulogne-sur-Mer said least 80% of the French fleet in the northern Hauts-de-France region, were still waiting, months after these licenses were expected to be issued.

He said many of the skippers struggling to obtain a license were unable to meet the British demand for electronic data showing they had fished in UK waters during the five years running up to Britain’s 2016 referendum on EU membership.

Margolle added that French fish stocks risked being depleted if French fishermen could not cross into British waters with some fishermen keeping their boats tied up in port.

The British government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) says Britain maintains an evidence-based approach to licensing EU vessels using information supplied by the European Commission,

Meanwhile, The French government late on Thursday urged the European Commission to take “firm and determined action” to ensure Britain applies the deal.