Scallop Wars with the French why no comment by our useless PM

Imagine it was the French fishermen fishing off our shores and over fishing, pinching our livelihoods.

You are joking of course or perhaps more likely a Remainer. That's what the French, Spanish and more have been doing to us for years thats why our fishing industry has almost disappeared.

So two wrongs make a right?

She should call out the Royal Navy and blow the buggers out of the water.

Rule Britannia ??

Isn't TM still in Africa?

It appears that there have been issues on both sides for a number of years which has brought this to head. Although UK is apparently doing nothing illegal the French Fishermen claim that because UK are using large fishing boats they are clearing the seas of shellfish leaving nothing for them and their small boats and, because of the UK factory fishing methods they are not fishing in an environmentally sustainable way. The correct people to discuss and resolve this issue are now on the case. I dont know what more TM could do.

For goodness sake.

Theresa May has just landed in Nigeria and is touring Africa.

As for the ' Scallop War' the French fisherman are not permitted to trawl for scallops because of a ruling by their own French government!

The British fishermen are not doing anything illegal , not even the EU has legislated on the trawling of scallops as far as I understand it.

If I am mistaken then I am happy to be corrected but if you want to apportion blame then look to the French government.

I understand the problem from both sides of the coin but honestly to somehow turn this as Theresa May kowtowing to the French is taking the proverbial.

Can't blame the EU so lets blame the French government for wanting to protect fish numbers and prevent over fishing. I don't think scallops are a basic part of the British diet, so no doubt they are sold by the Brits back to the EU or posh restaurants. Not worth getting your jingoist hats on.

This has been going on for years. Get a sense of proportion.

I seem to remember that in previous years it was six of one and half dozen of the other.

This seems to be the issue.
« La réglementation française impose aux pêcheurs français de ne pas exploiter la coquille entre le 15 mai et le 1er octobre. Les Anglais n’ont pas à respecter cette réglementation »
Doesn't sound like the British were respecting the rules.

What POGS said!!

The rules are French rules for French Fishermen as I understand it. Our rules are different.

And, I am a Remainer, Nicenanny3!!

So if the British had a rule that you couldn't take scallops between May and October off the British coast and the French came in and took them that would be absolutely OK with everybody would it?
Doesn't sound like cricket to me,

It doesn't sound fair to me either but the law needs reviewing. The British fishermen are doing nothing illegal.

I think the point is merlot that nobody should be dredging for scallops as it causes such damage to the sea bed. I certainly wouldn't buy them and I love a coquille St Jacques.

Could we not just send a gunboat?
Or if we don’t have any, a roll on roll off car ferry perhaps?

Mamie I can see both sides as I said but is it a case of Theresa May kowtowing to the French?

She should call out the Royal Navy and blow the buggers out of the water.
Another Hundred Years War?

Has she said anything yet POGS?
The French news is saying that the gendarmes intervened to calm things down and they are increasing patrols.

A spokesman for the U.K. fishing industry has said that British vessels get 6% of the scallops in the area, so who’s doing the over-fishing? And whatever the issues, nobody should condone ships surrounding and barging into others, and fisherman throwing rocks and metal objects at fellow fishermen.

Though if it weren’t so dangerous, the fact that the French “threw insults” as well is a bit reminiscent of Monty Python’s Search for the Holy Grail.

Disputes over UK/French fishing 'rights' have been going on for a long time:

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/scallop-wars-britain-france-fishing-rights-english-channel-history-a8512871.html

The French restrict their scallop fishing season in order to conserve stocks. It seems that the UK boats not only don't observe this (despite, apparently, a 'gentlemans' agreement' being in place) but they aren't always particularly scrupulous about what they take. According to this story a UK based fishing company (Canadian owned, ironically) has been fined twice in the last 6 years for taking undersized scallops. If I were a French scallop fisherman I think I'd be as annoyed as hell about this.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/scallop-wars-honeybourne-iii-france-channel-fishing-shellfish-latest-a8512581.html

Sorry, I don't subscribe to the 'my country right or wrong' philosophy.

I hate those pesky Froggies. Send Boris.

I wonder how many of the scallops trawled by British boats (causing enormous damage to the sea bed) will end up on restaurant menus as "Hand dived English Scallops"? Cynical? Moi?

Or sold to French restaurants?