Paris and London will resume discussions on post-Brexit fishing licenses on Tuesday, November 2, Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday, while negotiations have still not been concluded between the two countries. The Head of State also assured that the sanctions mentioned in retaliation will not be applied before a ministerial meeting scheduled for Thursday in Paris.
“It’s rather a good sign”, reacted Monday on franceinfo Jean-Luc Hall, director general of the National Committee for Maritime Fisheries and Marine Breeding (CNPMEM). However, he recalled that fishermen are “still waiting” and that there is still “250 licenses to be obtained” to allow French fishermen to work in British waters.
“We had rather gone into a hellish loser-loser spiral”, reassures Jean-Luc Hall but “despite the efforts made over the past ten months to provide sufficient evidence, we are not succeeding”, laments the boss of the CNPMEM. “We have a few licenses that are being trickled out. We’re up against a wall.” With the retaliatory measures put forward by France, Jean-Luc Hall saw “the means of affirming” than fishermen “had a nuisance capacity”.
The director of the CNPMEM insists on “the necessary efforts” made by the profession, “well beyond what is provided for in the agreement concluded at the start of the year”. For some fishermen, “it is really vital”.
“There are companies that are really struggling today. We don’t know if they will make it through the year.”
Jean-Luc Hall, Director General of CNPMEMto franceinfo
For Jean-Luc Hall, “everyone has an interest in working properly” on both sides of the Channel. “British fishermen need access to the European market and need to sell their fish at a fair price. And we French fishermen also need access to British waters. Fish travel a lot. year when the fish are at home. “
What would satisfy French fishermen is that “we continue and succeed in these negotiations”, insists the boss of the CNPMEM. “This has gone on for too long. We have fishermen who have been denied access for ten months.” He denounces a situation “anxiety inducing”. The announcement of the continuation of negotiations is therefore seen as “a positive sign”. “Both parties, the UK and France, have an interest in continuing to negotiate and come out on top of this affair”, adds Jean-Luc Hall. “Hopefully common sense wins out.”