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Pressure is mounting among French fishermen, while sanctions against the British should fall on Tuesday, November 2, from midnight if fishing licenses are not granted to the French.
Weariness dominates among French fishermen, who are awaiting the conclusion of the debates between France and the United Kingdom. “We hope that there will be results, but without much hope”, explains Olivier Leprêtre, chairman of the Hauts-de-France maritime fisheries and marine farming committee. In the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais), only 35 of the 80 fishing license applications were accepted by the British. Threats of retaliation should be applied from Tuesday, November 2, at midnight.
In Saint-Malo, in Ille-et-Vilaine, concern is also increasing for Julien Camus, scallop fisherman. His boat, which does not have on-board electronics, was refused for a license. This causes the temporary shutdown of his business. “We end up with our salaried staff to whom we cannot offer a contract”, he laments. If negotiations fail, some fishermen fear losing their license to fish in UK waters.