What is the Scallop War, why are French and British fishing boats clashing and will Brexit help?

FRENCH fishermen were accused of endangering the lives of British mariners after an extraordinary clash over scallops in the English Channel.

Here’s why they were hurling rocks, smoke bombs and other projectiles at English and Scottish vessels during the confrontation in August.

French fishermen were accused of endangering the lives of British mariners in a clash over scallops What is the Scallop War and why are British and French boats clashing?

Around a dozen British boats were targeted by a 40-strong flotilla in a protest over fishing rights in the scallop-rich waters on August 29.

One of the British ships, The Golden Promise, had a window smashed by an airborne can, while another suffered fire damage after a flare was thrown at it.

The long-running dispute centres on a section of the Channel where French fishermen cannot harvest scallops until later in the year due to domestic environmental laws.

They are furious that British boats gather up scallops beyond a 12-mile exclusion zone between May 15 and October 1, when the French are banned from fishing there.

A previous deal meant larger British trawlers did not go there, only smaller vessels.

But it broke down amid claims British fleets lost out in EU catch quotas.

Fishermen who were attacked the the Channel scallop battle were furious when it emerged French trawlermen netted a bumper catch of valuable bluefin tuna in British waters.

And the crisis escalated when France threatened to send in its Navy.

Chiefs from both sides met on September 5 in a bid to ease tensions and come to a deal.

And on 17 September a truce was agreed between negotiators from the British and French...

Read the full Article >>