Video of the incident broadcast by France 3 Normandie showed smoke bombs and rocks being thrown at British crews, while a number of boats appeared to be rammed.
The five British boats, greatly outnumbered by an estimated 35 French vessels, were chased from the scallop-rich Baie de Seine area off Normandy, maritime official Ingrid Parot told AFP.
The skirmish took place 12 nautical miles off the Normandy coast where British crews are allowed to fish all year round, while their French counterparts are restricted to a shorter harvesting season from October 1 to May 15.
“The French went to contact the British to stop them working and they clashed with each other. Apparently there was stone-throwing, but no injuries,” Normandy fishing chief Dimitri Rogoff was quoted as saying by AFP.
The French feel British fishermen are attempting to deplete stocks before the start of the harvesting season. “For the Brits, it’s an open bar — they fish when they want, where they want, and as much as they want,” Rogoff told AFP.
The problem has grown worse over the past 15 years as British boats have increased their catches considerably.
“We don’t want to stop them from fishing, but they could at least wait until October 1 so that we can share,” Rogoff said.
While the two sides have reached agreements over the past five years, the French blocked a deal this year, he added.
There is also frustration from French fishermen that the British use bigger trawlers, some of which are double the size and also have the ability to freeze scallops on board.
“Scallops are a flagship product for Normandy, a primary resource and a highly sensitive issue,” Rogoff said.
Britain’s National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations has urged calm and said any differences should be resolved through negotiation.
“We have raised the matter with the British government and asked for protection for our vessels, which are fishing legitimately,” Chief Executive Barrie Deas told the BBC. “The deeper issues behind the clashes should be settled by talking around the table, not on the high seas where people could be hurt.”
Source : Nbcnewyork
