Johnson sends two naval ships to an island off the French coast after riots over fishing rights | abroad

The British government sent two patrol boats towards the French tonight. This came in response to the “retaliatory measures” announced by the French yesterday. Minister Annick Girardin (Sea) threatened in Parliament, the possibility of cutting off the transmission of electricity from France via a submarine cable to the island.

The minister said she would regret it, but if she had to, she wouldn’t hesitate. She said she discovered last Friday that the British had introduced new access conditions for French fishermen, allowing them to be active in the area for a shorter period of time and to remove fewer species of fish from the waters.

The UK has published a list of 41 French fishing boats subject to new terms it says have not been “agreed, discussed or notified” as part of the UK’s exit deal with the European Union. “Totally unacceptable,” says Girardin. She fears that if France does not take action, fishermen will also be banned from other British waters rich in fish.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson clarified the decision to send the ships tonight. “There is an urgent and urgent need to de-escalate the situation and to enter into a dialogue between Jersey and France over the arrival of the fishermen.” Cut off the power supply “completely disproportionate”.

The island of Jersey is located more than 20 kilometers from the coast of Normandy. It is not part of the United Kingdom but is a property of the British Crown. Because it is closer to France than England, electricity comes from the European mainland.