“We have had a lot of calls with shipowners over the last few days to find out where they can fish in English waters from January 1,” says Jacques Dudet, director of the Britney Regional Fisheries Committee. “As we are not sure whether the authorities will be issued by the British on Thursday, we send a message of caution to the professionals. We do not want to put them at risk. “

Expressing its “great skepticism” over the legal framework, the Regional Fisheries Committee, together with professional organizations (Les Peachers de Bretten and Cobrenord), believes that “faced this uncertainty and gave control risks by the authorities.” The time required to fix the British and equipment, he invites the Breton shipping lines not to remain in the waters of the United Kingdom after midnight on 31 December, and remove idle fishing gear before the end of the year ”.

A spectacular stop but limited in time

The message also concerns Anglo-Norman waters, and particularly for Jersey where the fishing agreement of Granville Bay was shed by Brexit. If the fisherman represents only 23 pages out of 1,200 of the December 24 agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom and if the main lines seem clear to both parties, “the conditions for their implementation must be in their administrative part”. Specified ”, comments on the Regional Fisheries Committee.

What would be the consequences for the region of such a halt, even transient? Shipowners should not be losers, the compensation mechanisms imposed for the Kovid can be replicated for boats that will not go to sea. For consumers and fishermen, the momentary interruption of fishing comes within a period of time. Of the year when the demand for fish is less. The effects of this transitional period will be minimized. However, more than 40% of Breton fishing depends on English waters! And some shipping lines such as Scapêche make up 75% of their catches.

The consequences of Brexit have not been realized. One of the next big projects will be to negotiate stock by stock access to British fish.