Britain summons French ambassador over fishing row

Britain on Thursday summoned France’s ambassador to discuss an escalating row over fishing rights between the two countries.

“I have instructed Europe Minister Wendy Morton to summon the French Ambassador to the UK for talks tomorrow to explain the disappointing and disproportionate threats made against the UK and Channel Islands,” tweeted Liz Truss, British foreign minister.

Earlier on Thursday, reacting to France’s announcement that it had detained a British fishing boat amid the dispute, the UK said 98% of the EU vessels who have applied to the UK for fishing licenses have been approved, including many French ones.

The French government claimed its fishermen have not been granted half the licenses they need to fish in British waters under the Brexit agreement.

Tensions between France reached a new high on Thursday after two British vessels were penalized for fishing in French waters.

Earlier Thursday, French Maritime Minister Annick Girardin announced that one UK ship had been detained for fishing without a license while a second was fined for obstructing an inspection by French gendarmes.

The detained ship was not on the license lists granted to the UK by the European Commission and France, and its captain risks sanctions, France said.