Clotaire Achi and Layli Foroudi

BOULOGNE–SUR-MER in France (Reuters] – Fishing enthusiasts on the English Channel fought back Monday against an escalation to a Franco–British conflict over fishing licences. They anticipate that it will lead to a costly outcome for both sides.

France alleges Britain is not honouring a post-Brexit deal https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/post-brexit-fishing-rules-heart-new-uk-france-clash-2021-10-28 on access to British fishing grounds and has said that from midnight (2300 GMT) on Monday it will retaliate https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/brexit-france-readying-sanctions-if-uk-withholds-fishing-licences-2021-10-27 by stepping up checks on trucks coming from Britain and barring British trawlers from docking in French ports.

Olivier Leprêtre, president of the regional sea fishing committee for northern France, said he had advised his group’s members to steer clear of British waters, in case they were caught up in tit-for-tat British measures.

The English Channel’s tracking data showed Monday that the vast majority of French fishermen were keeping close to the shorelines. The British trawlers remained in the same sector.

Lepetre stressed that France should take firm action against Britain but his colleagues were also concerned about possible collateral damage from a more serious row.

Britain’s government on Monday issued its own threat to France, telling Paris it had 48 hours https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-warns-france-back-down-48-hours-or-face-trade-trouble-2021-11-01 its planned retaliatory measures, or face legal action.

Stephane Pruvost is boss of sea food processing firm JP Marée, one of several in the port of Boulogne which import part of their raw materials from Britain.

According to him, he fears disruption in his supply chain if France continues to threaten to increase checks on trucks arriving from Britain via Calais and France to Boulogne.

“Is blocking imports the solution?” he asked, in an interview with Reuters.

Referring to French President Emmanuel Macron, he said: “Macron isn’t aware of the effects of all of this. Listening to only the voices of fishermen is all we do, not any one else at the other end of the chain.

Stephane Fournier (44-year-old Boulogne Sur-Mer fisherman) is one of many waiting for Britain, to grant him a license to fish in Britain’s waters.

France must retaliate to Britain, even though there’s blowback for French fishermen.

“I prefer losing one month’s salary to losing our livelihood, our way of life,” he said.

He said that the row between Paris and London over fishing licenses was a political game, with both sides taking pride in their respective victories. We are there watching it all from the stands.