Jersey government has ‘constructive meeting’ with French fishermen as Royal Navy ships prepare to depart | UK News

The Jersey government said it had held a “constructive meeting” with protesting French fishermen in a bid to resolve a dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights.

The government said it had agreed to set up a forum with fishermen on Thursday after the arrival of a fleet of around 56 French vessels. Jersey in the morning, following threats of blockade of the main port of Saint-Hélier.

The United Kingdom sent two Royal Navy patrollers to the island “as a precaution” Wednesday evening and France sent a military ship Thursday on “patrol mission”.

The British government said it was “happy that French fishing boats have now left the vicinity of Jersey” and that navy ships are preparing to return home.

Government officials from the island sailed on a Jersey fishing boat to meet with representatives of French fishermen for 90 minutes of discussions.

The French Foreign Office and the EU had previously accused the UK of violating its Brexit deal with the EU on how fishing permits to access UK waters are issued, with the French threatening to cut off Jersey’s power supply.

France said the UK had imposed new license applications to allow French fishermen to fish in Jersey waters, which was not settled or discussed, but the UK said it had not provided the necessary data to approve their requests.

Jersey Chief Minister Senator John Le Fondre said French fishermen protested “peacefully and respectfully” and speaking directly to them “gave both sides a better understanding” of how the challenges of the new trade deal can be relieved.

“We recognize that there have been challenges in implementing the new trade agreement,” …