Jersey fishermen confront French trawler caught in island’s protected waters

Jersey fishermen confront French trawler caught in island’s protected waters as fishing war ignites again

  • The Granville-based Alize 3 was spotted working in ground off the north coast
  • The boat’s skipper was adamant French authorities gave him permission to work
  • But Assistant Environment Minister Gregory Guida described breach as ‘serious’
  • He confirmed Jersey would lodge a complaint with the European Commission

A fishing war has again ignited in the English Channel after Jersey fishermen confronted a French trawler caught in the island’s protected waters.

Anglers reported seeing the Granville-based Alize 3 on marine-tracker websites working in a bream-spawning ground off the north coast yesterday.

Some attempted to stop the boat, while the Norman Le Brocq fisheries protection vessel was also deployed.

According to marine radio listeners – the boat’s skipper was adamant his local French authorities had given him permission to work in the area.

Anglers reported seeing the Granville-based Alize 3 (pictured) on marine-tracker websites working in a bream-spawning ground off the north coast

This was despite assertions from fisheries officers that he was not allowed to be there and that he had to stop fishing immediately.

After the Norman Le Brocq officer spoke to the vessel’s skipper, the Alize 3 moved towards the west coast of the Island.

Assistant Environment Minister Gregory Guida has described the breach as ‘serious’ and confirmed Jersey would lodge a complaint with the European Commission.

The vessel is also alleged to have steamed through an area of pots, worth thousands of pounds, laid by Jersey fishers. It was last night unclear whether any had been damaged.

Deputy Guida said: ‘We issued licences to French boats at the beginning of this month with new conditions.

‘Those included the nature and extent of their fishing – where they fish, how they fish and what they fish for – and also two environmental conditions: to protect an area where bream reproduce and to limit the quantity of dredging gear that a boat can pull.

A graphic shows how the Alize 3 - first spotted in protected waters yesterday - moved towards the west coast of the Island (pictured here at 7am this morning) after the Norman Le Brocq officer spoke to the vessel's skipper

A graphic shows how the Alize 3 – first spotted in protected waters yesterday – moved towards the west coast of the Island (pictured here at 7am this morning) after the Norman Le Brocq officer spoke to the vessel’s skipper

‘The EU complained and we agreed to suspend the nature and extent conditions by two months until July 1.

‘But the French administration then told their fishermen that the licences were null and void and they could go wherever they wanted whenever they wanted.

‘The problem is that this boat was probably thinking it was acting in good faith, following the rules set out by its own department, but it was illegal in Jersey.’

The incident is the latest development in Jersey’s fishing dispute with France, a situation which arose in December when the Island was given sole control over determining which vessels could fish in its waters.

Any French boats wishing to obtain an access permit had to provide data to show that they had operated in the area for a minimum of ten days in any of the last three years.

But, earlier this month, the skippers of some Norman and Breton vessels were outraged after they were given licences, which allowed them to fish for 11 days each year.

One of those affected claimed he usually worked for 100 days each year in the Island’s waters.

A map graphic shows the extent of Jersey's protected waters, which appears to include the area the Alize 3 has been operating in

A map graphic shows the extent of Jersey’s protected waters, which appears to include the area the Alize 3 has been operating in

A protest, in which 70 French boats stormed the Harbour and stopped two cargo vessels from leaving, ensued.

Threats were also levied by Annick Girardin, the Minister of the Sea, who warned that the country would cut off Jersey’s electricity if improved fishing rights were not granted.

Asked how ecologically sensitive the protected area in question was, Deputy Guida said: ‘It is a very small area and fishermen are prohibited from working there so that we can study the reproduction of bream in Jersey.

‘That takes place in May and June and we needed to know how important the area was but, if it has come through there and taken all the fish, we will not have any data until next year. It is a very serious breach.’

The assistant minister added that it was not clear what, if any, enforcement action would be taken against the offending boat but that the matter had been discussed with ministers and a complaint would be lodged with the European Commission.