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EU fisheries war: How angry Briton dubbed French fishermen-terrorists over violent feud
Fransk fiskebåt rammar brittisk (bilden från "Scallop-War augusti 2018)
The European Union has clashed with the UK over fisheries for years - but the most violent fallout came between France and the UK as French fishermen were dubbed "terrorists" by a furious Briton.
The comment came amid a hostile exchange between French and UK fishermen in August 2018. The row erupted between British and French fishermen in the English Channel as French fishing boats tried to prevent several British fishing vessels from catching sea scallops off the Normandy coast. It quickly descended into violence when three British trawlers were chased by French boats, hit by stones and rammed by their counterparts.
On top of this, petrol bombs and rocket flares were thrown as the British boats fled the area to find shelter. The relentless attacks from French fishermen came despite UK vessels being permitted to fish in the Bay of Seine area.
Footage of the incident broadcast by France 3 Normandie showed boats colliding as an object was thrown towards them, and the video also showed the Honeybourne III colliding with a smaller vessel.
It later became apparent that the Scottish boat attempted to ram a number of French vessels after a fire erupted on board.
Derek Meridith, owner of two of the boats involved in the dispute claimed that the French fishermen involved were "terrorists".
He said: "They need to stop taking the law into their own hands. It's terrorism. If we done it in this country we would be locked up as terrorists."
Meanwhile, MP for South East Cornwall Sheryl Murray hit out at the "thuggery" of the fishermen from France.
She said: "This is just unfair. British boats are doing nothing wrong and yet we are seeing this sort of thuggery from their French counterparts."
Prime Minister at the time, Theresa May, urged both parties to settle their differences, saying: "I think it's important we see an amicable solution to what has happened in the Channel. It's what we want and it's what France wants and we will be working on that."
Both the UK and France condemned the violence, with the French Navy even vowing to step in should any more clashes occur.
The fight for scallops in the English Channel is a longstanding feud between British and French fishermen.
In 2012, the Great Scallop War started when, according to British fishermen, French boats surrounded UK boats and slammed them.
The attack involved the throwing of rocks and nets resulting in damage to the propellers and engines of the boats.The French claimed that British fishermen had ventured inside the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) 12 mile exclusion zone, something they denied.
The tension over fisheries has transcended into current Brexit talks, as French President Emmanuel Macron vows to fight for his country access to British waters.
He said last month: “I want to tell our fishermen that I will fight for them. If we do not get the same access as today, we will seek compensation.
“I will not let our fishermen pay for a British vote they could do nothing about."
Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to regain independent control of UK waters and prevent EU member states from maintaining unfettered access.
Källa/Länk: Express.co.uk