Jersey officials hold talks with French fishermen to defuse post-Brexit tensions

A protest over post-Brexit rights by French fishermen at Jersey’s main port has ended, following “positive” talks aimed at resolving the row.

Two Royal Navy ships are patrolling near Jersey, where about 80 French boats have dispersed after a six-hour protest at the island’s St Helier port. 

The French fishermen were protesting about new post-Brexit fishing licences that restrict the number of days they can operate in shared waters near Jersey.

Ian Gorst, Jersey’s external relations minister, said he believes talks between officials from the Channel Island and French fishermen who were protesting at the port of St Helier have been “positive”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme: “It really is important that what has escalated over the course of the last three days, that we move away from that escalation and disproportionate threats, and start to deal with those detailed technical issues.”

A spokesman said the Prime Minister Boris Johnson “confirmed that the two Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels would remain in place to monitor the situation as a precautionary measure”. According to the BBC, the two French patrol vessels, police boat Athos and patroller Themis, appeared to be heading south shortly after 13:30 BST, away from Jersey.

The UK sent two Royal Navy ships to Jersey following French threats to cut off electricity to the island, a self-governing dependency of the UK off the tip of northern France.

Annick Girardin, France’s maritime minister, said she was “revolted” by the new restrictions on French fishermen and warned that France was ready to use “retaliation measures”. She said: “With regards to Jersey, I would remind you, for example, of electricity transmission by underwater cable. So, we have the means. Even if I would regret getting to that point, we will if we have to.”

Earlier, a spokeswoman for the European Commission called for “calm” as she indicated that the bloc was standing behind France, complaining that there had been “additional conditions” imposed on fishing licences.