French fishermen have started to make good on their threat to close off the Eurotunnel and ferry traffic in the ports of Saint-Malo, Ouistreham, and Calais in northern France if a row with the UK over fishing licences does not get resolved. They have started blocking freight access to the Channel Tunnel.
Earlier, Gerard Romiti, chairman of France's national fisheries committee (CNPMEM) warned that the country's fishermen, who had been complaining about losses they allegedly sustained due to the row, would be taking action on Friday, 26 November, calling it a "warning shot".
London responded to these threats demanding that French authorities take action and prevent any behaviour that might negatively affect bilateral trade.
French fishermen blocking port access in Calais over a fishing row between France and the UK.
© Sputnik / Sputnik France
The row started over France's claims that the UK is not fulfilling its post-Brexit obligations on issuing licenses for foreign fishing boats to operate in British waters. According to Paris, 10 Downing Street did not issue all the licenses it had under the agreement.
The UK reviewed 47 applications for licenses from French fishermen this year and satisfied only 12 of them. London insists that the decisions in these applications were "reasonable" and correspond to the country's obligations under the agreements with the EU on fishing in the wake of Brexit.
French fishermen blocking port access in Calais over a fishing row between France and the UK.
© Sputnik / Sputnik France
France threatened to slap the UK with various sanctions unless the latter fixes the situation and issues the licenses. French authorities even arrested a British fishing vessel that allegedly operated in French waters without a licence, but released it several days later. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met and agreed to negotiate a bilateral solution, but nothing has been agreed upon as of yet.