Norman fishermen and elected officials, a hundred people gathered on Saturday on the beach of Pirou (Manche) in the east of Jersey, at the call of the regional fisheries committee, to express their concern a few days before the end of the licenses provisional access to British waters, September 30.
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The fishermen joined by a dozen local elected officials in tricolor scarves, had chosen to meet on the beach of Armanville from where a 90,000 volt electric power cable leaves to supply Jersey. "
It is to show Jersey that we, in fact, have been in solidarity with their energy needs and that they must also make the effort to be in solidarity with our fishermen
", declared to AFP Noëlle Leforestier, mayor. from Pirou. "
Today we find ourselves in a situation of complete impasse with a countdown which is underway
", declared to AFP Bertrand Sorre, LREM deputy of the 2nd district of the Manche.
While the provisional authorizations given to fishermen from the English Channel to fish in English waters run until September 30, “
this means that in a few days, these fishermen have no idea whether they will be able to continue their profession, if they will be able to access these fishing areas which are vital for them
”, recalled the deputy.
Explosive situation
Despite the efforts of the regional fisheries committee to produce documents concerning boats of less than 12 meters, “
we really have the feeling of ill will or bad faith on the part of the Jersey and English authorities to regain this serenity. and this possibility of exercising his profession
”, underlined the elected official.
Marc Delahaye, director of the Normandy fisheries committee, fears that after September 30, “
we will end up with a lot of boats at the quayside
”. “
This is where we will have an explosion and behind there will be a destruction of the naval sector, at the Granville auction, the marayage, the carriers, the supplyers of equipment. This is where it becomes unbearable
”.
He fears an immediate 20 to 80% impact on fishermen's production and that "
for some (it is) the key under the door very very quickly
".
An explosive subject throughout the negotiations on the conditions for the UK's exit from the EU, the access of European fishermen to British waters remains a subject of tension despite the agreement on post-Brexit relations found between London and Brussels, in force since January 1.
At the beginning of May, dozens of Norman and Breton fishing boats gathered in the port of Saint-Hélier in Jersey to express their discontent and defend their right to continue fishing in Jersey waters, causing London to send two patrollers before the situation returned to order during the day.
