The agreement, which takes effect Tuesday, mandates that large British boats withdraw from the scallop-rich area. Small English boats, however, will still be permitted to fish in the bay.
Earlier this month, French fishermen attacked English scallop boats, ramming into them and hurling smoke bombs and rocks, leaving the British vessels in flames. There were about 40 French vessels and five British ones caught in the row, Sputnik previously reported.
British and French anglers have long been at odds over the right to catch the prized shellfish in the waters around Seine Bay. While French rules require their fishermen to allow scallop stocks to regenerate between May 15 and October 1, Britons are not faced with the same restrictions and can fish year-round.
According to French officials, large English boats catch as many scallops in a single day as French fishermen gather in a month, depleting scallop stocks in the waters that the French seasonal fishing pause is supposed to address.
Under the new, temporary deal, UK scallop dredgers that are more than 15 meters long will not be able to fish off the coast of Normandy for six weeks. France has also agreed to give the UK some of its fishing concessions in the Irish Sea, the Telegraph reports.
Following the deal, British Fisheries Minister George Eustice said, "I commend the UK fishing industry for its patience throughout negotiations and welcome this pragmatic outcome," BBC reported Monday.
