© Photographer: AFP Contributor/AFPU.K. Sends Navy Patrol Ships to Jersey on French Blockade Threat
(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. has sent two military patrol vessels to the British isle of Jersey ahead of a potential blockade by French fishermen, as a row with France over post-Brexit fishing rights deepened.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with Jersey's political leaders on Wednesday and said any blockade would be "unjustified," according to a statement from the U.K. government. France has also threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Jersey in protest at a lack of licenses for its fishermen to operate.
The patrol ships are of a type that is generally armed with 20mm and 30mm guns and can carry 45 crew with as many as 50 Royal Marines, according to the Ministry of Defence website. The two vessels are being sent as a precautionary measure, the U.K. said.
The French government is following the situation closely and is in touch with the British, according to a French diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
France Threatens to Cut Power to Jersey Over Fisheries Spat
"Any blockade would be completely unjustified," the U.K. statement said. "The Prime Minister and Chief Minister stressed the urgent need for a de-escalation in tensions and for dialogue between Jersey and France on fishing access."
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Deployment of the ships marks a striking escalation of tensions between two NATO allies and is a sign of ongoing frictions caused by Britain's departure from the European Union. Negotiations over fish were one of the most contentious elements of the post-Brexit accord, and France has separately threatened to limit access for U.K. financial services companies into the EU if its fishing boats weren't treated fairly.
Tensions rose earlier this week after France's maritime minister, Annick Girardin, said she was "revolted" when she heard that Jersey had granted fishing licenses that included extra conditions and criteria which were not compliant with the Brexit deal. Girardin said she had flagged the non-compliance to the European Commission.
"We're ready to resort to retaliatory measures" that are in the Brexit accord, she told lawmakers in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Jersey's external relations minister, Ian Gorst, said the island had issued the licenses in accordance with the U.K.'s trade and cooperation agreement with the EU. This means French boats must demonstrate a track record of having fished in the area, he said.
"If French fishermen or the authorities have further evidence they would like to submit, we will update the licenses to reflect that evidence," Gorst said in a statement on the Jersey government's website. "We are entering a new era, and it takes time for all to adjust."
Jersey is a self-governing British crown dependency 22 kilometers from the French coast, which makes its own laws and raises its own taxes, but relies on the U.K. government for defense.
The growing spat with France comes ahead of a "Super Thursday" of elections in the U.K., where a slew of polls will be held, including for 143 English councils, the Scottish and Welsh parliaments and the mayor of London. The parliamentary district of Hartlepool is also up for grabs.
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