France and the UK are under a fishing ban and Brexit tensions are rising

As Britain threatened to board French fishing boats on Friday, France maintained a plan to impose sanctions on British vessels in the growing controversy over post-Brexit fishing rights.

The long-running controversy came to prominence this week after France listed actions it would take against Britain if London did not allow more French tug boats to fish in British waters.

Britain has challenged France’s explanation for not allowing fishing in French waters and threatened retaliation and summoned the French ambassador to London on Friday to explain Paris’ actions.

The controversy is part of a broader controversy over post-Brexit trade deals between Britain and the European Union.

British Environment Secretary George Eustis said London could retaliate if France used sanctions, including additional tariffs on British products, from Tuesday (2). The possibility of Paris raising energy tariffs for Britain also hung in the air.

“Obviously, increasing the surveillance we do on French ships, it is possible that we are always open to controlling many of what they do on our ships,” Eustice told BBC television.

Obviously, increasing the testing we do on French ships is always an open opportunity to control more of what they do on our ships.

George Eustis to BBC British Television

“There are other administrative things we can request from ships,” he said.

French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie told TV France 2 that there was no progress in negotiations for additional licenses for fishing in Britain and that it was appropriate for France to consider sanctions against Britain.