France decided on Wednesday that the limited number of fishing licenses issued to French fishermen, including “formal checks” on British products, would advance with the first sanctions against the UK.
“We want the agreement made between the two countries to be respected. That is what we have found Nearly 50% of the licenses we own are missing. This is an unacceptable situation and I warn that there is a limit to our patience, “said Gabriel Attal, a spokesman for the French government.
The set of measures to be taken on November 2 will include formal customs and health restrictions on British products arriving in France. Seafood from the UK is banned, and there are restrictions on trucks crossing the English Channel.
Despite the post-Brexit agreement, it allows fishermen on both sides to retain their rights in their waters, and according to Paris, British authorities are demanding additional resources from French fishermen, preventing hundreds of vessels from fishing beyond the islands of Jersey and Guernsey.
British authorities have already approved about 200 licenses, but the French are still seeking 244 additional approvals.
Tensions between the two countries escalated in September, with threats from both sides, including a potential power outage to these British Isles being delivered from France.
In addition to the conflict over fishing, officials in both countries have had difficulty understanding the number of immigrants from France who have been registered off the coast of the United Kingdom.
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