'Scallop War' between Britain and France off the coast of Normandy

Clashes between British and French fishermen off the coast of Normandy on August 28. Photo: France 3 Normandy

“The scallop war” is what the British press has dubbed what happened off the coast of Normandy on August 28. Five British fishing boats were “attacked” by “rocks, smoke and flares” from “angry French fishermen.”

According to the Daily Telegraph, French fishermen are angry that British fishermen are still fishing for scallops when they are banned by the government. According to French law, fishing is banned from 15 May to 1 October within 12 nautical miles of the coast, but these bans do not apply to British fishing vessels.

Every year, there are many discussions between the two sides about restricting the activities of British fishermen as well as banning fishing boats longer than 15m. This is to avoid leaving French fishermen with nothing to catch after October 1 (when the fishing ban is lifted).

However, according to a British newspaper, quoting Dimitri Rogoff, Chairman of the Normandy Fisheries Commission, this year, “the negotiations have failed. Especially with Brexit negotiations still hanging over the horizon, the UK is looking for a global negotiation rather than solving simple things like scallops.” And the result is that clashes like the above have occurred.

Immediately after the clashes, the British fishing federation announced that its fishermen would be protected by the Royal Navy. Condemning the “excessive actions” of the French fishermen, Mr. Barrie Deas, head of the British fishing federation, said that “European fishing fleets, including the French, catch five or six times more in British waters.” Therefore, if the parties fail to reach an agreement, “the biggest losers will certainly be the French.”