Brexit: French fisherman reveals plans for 'retaliation'

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Brexit tensions erupted after the UK approved just 12 of the 47 applications it had received from small boats in France to fish in British waters. Fury escalated when the Jersey Government said of 170 license applications it had received from French boats, 75 had been rejected. French fishermen have threatened to block the port of Calais in protest at this and stop exports to the UK in the run-up to Christmas.

France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune also warned EU member states were preparing to apply pressure on the UK to abide by the terms of the Brexit deal.

But Frexiteer Eric Noirez has instead pointed the finger of blame at the EU and the negative influence he claims it is having over France.

The Generation Frexit member told Express.co.uk: “Clément Beaune is blinded by his Eurofanaticism – he refuses to see in this matter of fishermen’s access to British waters that the dysfunction comes from the European Union.

“It was the European bureaucracy that negotiated the post-Brexit fisheries agreements.

“Where the UK now decides for and on its behalf, France is still dependent on the negotiations established by Brussels, which claims to be able to defend the divergent interests of 27 different nations in a single policy, in a single diplomatic block.

“And, unsurprisingly, once again, it does not work: France is the big loser in the story and French fishermen are the victims of the stubbornness of French leaders who want Brussels to decide for France.” ​

“So Clément Beaune blames the actions of a perfectly democratic United Kingdom while turning a blind eye to the ineffectiveness of a European Union that remains, until proven otherwise, undemocratic.”

The Generation Frexit member ramped up calls for France to leave the EU by suggesting a “classic nation-to-nation negotiation, a direct Franco-British negotiation” over fishing would have been more “productive” for both countries.

Mr Noirez also talked up the benefits of being free from the shackles of the EU whilst renewing his attack on Mr Beaune for not understanding that.

He continued: “It is obviously a classic nation-to-nation negotiation, a direct Franco-British negotiation, would have been more productive for both countries.

“I would ask the question: without the EU, would the trade relationship between France and the UK be as problematic?

“Without the EU, would there have been such an overbidding, with threats of energy embargoes like those made by Clément Beaune?

“Brexit is a good thing: in fact, Clément Beaune would like to make the British pay for the dysfunctions and nuisances that the EU causes for France.

“He refuses to see that what is wrong with France is the EU. Not Brexit.

“But what Clément Beaune and the Europeanists also refuse to admit is that with Brexit the UK has made the choice of independence and a return to full sovereignty: a nation that makes decisions in the interests of the British people.

Mr Noirez added: “Yet the British people were clear in their vote on 23 June 2016: they no longer want European rules, they want to restore their own rules, and among their rules is the return of control over British fisheries and waters.

“A democratic legitimacy that people like Clément Beaune stubbornly refuse to accept. Just as they do not accept the idea that today the European continent is not one big market where everyone can come and help themselves.”

Generation Frexit President Charles-Henri Gallois echoed the comments of his colleague over a UK-French fishing deal, claiming both countries share “common interests” and also “face the same issues”.

He told Express.co.uk: “I’m quite sure that if France had negotiated directly with the UK, with the common interests that we have, we could have a better deal for both sides.

“The best thing to do for France would be to leave the EU and not be part anymore of the Brexit deal, talk and seat together with our British friends and negotiate a new deal bilateral deal.”

Mr Gallois added: “French fishermen face the same issues as the British ones as we have all the fishermen from Netherlands, Belgium or Denmark in our waters.

“If we take back control of our waters, French fishermen could be self-sufficient in our area.”

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