On Friday 31 August, France and the United Kingdom announced a meeting of officials and fishermen from both countries on scallop-fishing. The meeting is expected to take place on 5 September.
After clashes between French and British fishing vessels, French agriculture minister Stéphane Travert held talks with British fisheries minister George Eustice.
The two men condemned violence off the Bay of Seine, saying it was due to the lack of continuation so far of the bilateral agreement between French and English fishermen on the opening dates for the scallop-fishing season.
For a number of years, a Franco-British agreement has been negotiated between the two countries’ fishermen with the aim of ensuring that British ships of 15 metres and more respect the dates for the end of the fishing season that French fishermen lay down to preserve the scallop stock. Including ships of less than 15 metres long in the agreement, desired by French fishermen, has not been agreed upon and the agreement has therefore not been signed for 2018. The two ministers say an agreement is urgently needed between French and British fishermen to ensure the fishing season can run smoothly.
Closure of the scallop-fishing season makes no sense if British fishermen do not comply with it, said Alain Cadec (EPP, France), chair of the European Parliament’s fisheries committee. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)