French fishermen have attacked British boats in the English Channel because they think they’re pinching too many scallops…that’s a bit rich considering EU boats have plundered UK waters for years.
Smoke bombs were apparently thrown at British vessels and there are claims they’re endangering lives at sea.
French and English fishermen are 'at war' over scallops.
This is the dramatic moment boat crews clashed over fishing rights in the English Channel. pic.twitter.com/XN9QeuHtwa
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) August 29, 2018
Mike Park, Chief Executive of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association, called it “criminality and high seas piracy”.
He said: “At sea there is always the threat that the smallest incident can lead to loss of life and it’s extremely fortunate that no one lost their lives or was seriously hurt.
“We have emailed French colleagues and pleaded for an end to this messy affair.
“They have responded positively and we are now in the process of setting an early meeting in Paris tomorrow to begin to resolve this dispute.”
French boats are only allowed to fish for scallops during a time-limited period and get angry at the fact British boats aren’t restricted. Tough, some would say. It’s time the authorities stepped in to protect British fishermen.