Fishermen threaten blockade as Macron snubbed by EU

‘We’re losing 50 per cent of our income. We’re going to consider direct action because this has to end’

FRANCE’S failure to secure the backing of European governments in its dispute with Britain over fishing licences has prompted fresh threats of a Channel trade blockade by French trawlermen.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, was humiliated last week when EU nations poured cold water over his attempts to use the post-Brexit trade deal to drive through economic sanctions for the UK.

He is furious that a number of small French fishing vessels have been refused access to Britain’s coastal waters under the terms of the agreement, but Brussels insiders insisted Mr Macron was simply using the row for political gain before next April’s presidential elections.

France’s president believes that by publicly fighting for the fishing industry he could steal votes from Marine Le Pen, the far-Right leader who is popular in northern coastal towns.

But French fishermen have once again threatened to take matters into their own hands and blockade the Channel, which could have a detrimental impact on trade, after Mr Macron failed to secure more licences for them to operate in British waters. “We were promised to be able to go fishing in English waters, but since Jan 1 it’s forbidden to us. We’re losing 50 per cent of our income,” said Pierre-Yves Dachicourt, a fisherman from the northern town of Boulogne.

“We’re going to consider direct action, because this has to end,” he added. “We can’t live like that.”

The threats came after Paris failed to secure the backing of EU nations to accuse the UK of “a clear failure to comply with the provisions” of the post-Brexit fisheries pact.

Annick Girardin, France’s maritime minister, had circulated an aggressive declaration to her European counterparts.

In an email message, Francois Lambert, the French minister’s top adviser, urged colleagues to sign up to the “joint declaration” to “ensure not only respect for French fishermen” but also the EU-UK Brexit trade deal.

Twelve EU nations have now signed a “watered down” version of the declaration, which only pushed for “further technical work in accordance with the spirit and the letter of the agreement”. France was told it had no chance of securing signatories unless it dropped a threat to cut energy supplies to the UK and Jersey from the statement.

Following discussions on Friday between Lord Frost, the Cabinet Office minister, and, Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission vice president, in Brussels, the two men are understood to have agreed to begin technical talks this week over the proposals put forward by both sides.

UK Government sources, however, suggested that EU proposals published last week appeared “thin” following scrutiny in recent days.