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French fishermen are no longer allowed to fish off the coast of Guernsey following Brexit on Friday night. Access to Channel Island waters were granted by the London Fisheries convention in
1964 but this treaty automatically expired when Britain left the European Union on Friday night. Guernsey will now use a case-by-case permit scheme to decide which boats will be allowed to
fish in its waters. French fishermen expected business as usual arrangement during the transition period until the end of this year, however, Guernsey has chosen to install a new system
where boats will not get individual authorisation to enter the waters 6 to 12 miles off its coast. Frank Le Doussal, a french fisherman who catches a third of his catch from waters around
Guernsey, said: “It jeopardises our profession and it will make it very difficult for businesses like ours.” European politicians have accused Guernsey of jumping the gun by implementing a
temporary ban on Europeans fishing in British waters despite business as usual being expected for the year-long transition period post-Brexit. French Politician Sonia Krimi, who sits on
France’s foreign affairs committee, strongly condemned Guernsey’s decision, labelling it “too vague” and “disrespectful”. READ MORE: BARNIER DEMANDS ACCESS TO UK WATERS IF BORIS WANTS AN EU
TRADE DEAL The French Agriculture Ministry has said it expected to resolve the dispute in the coming days. Fishing boat captains have been warned not to load their catches in France amid
fears vessels could be set alight. Yesterday, Dave Gillingham, from Alderney, said he has been warned by a Frenchman he works with that it would not be safe to land his fish at Cherbourg. He
said: “They could blockade the port if we try to land or set fire to our boats. It has all been done in the past.” In response to fishing restrictions post-Brexit the EU may impose a ban on
British caught fish in the EU. Brussels negotiator Michel Barnier has insisted that Britain must sacrifice its fishing waters in order to strike a trade deal with the EU. He said: “Our
free-trade agreement must include an agreement on fisheries. This agreement should provide reciprocal access to markets and waters, which contains quota shares.” The Brussels bureaucrat also
said any future deal must include “robust commitments” to environmental standards, workers’ rights, and taxation. The territorial waters of all three Channel Islands were increased last
year and, at the time, a States of Guernsey statement said it increased the island's ability to "manage and conserve" fish stocks. Fishing is one of the five key negotiating
principles the UK is prioritising when negotiating with the EU. It is the only industry to figure specifically in the list of negotiating priorities and is described as a "red
line" issue.