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British cannot close off fishing waters post Brexit, says France

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
British cannot close off fishing waters post Brexit, says France
'Fishing For Leave' campaign group sign about Brexit on a boat in the harbour in Brixham, southern England, in October 2018. Photo: AFP

French Minister of Agriculture Didier Guillaume said Thursday it was "not possible" for Britain to close its waters to French and other EU fishermen after Brexit.

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"We do not accept that... that is not what we want," Guillaume told a meeting of fisheries professionals in the Channel port of Boulogne.
   
"Nobody would understand why, because of Brexit, the British would close off their territorial waters".
   
Britain is set to leave the European Union in just a week's time on March 29 unless London wins an extension to its scheduled departure.
 
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OPINION: Why French fishermen SHOULD be allowed to fish in UK waters after BrexitPhoto: AFP

Guillaume stressed London and the EU would have to agree on future fishing cooperation in the English Channel but insisted "we are confident" and "we are 
combative because we are resolutely out to defend French fishing and French fishermen".
   
The minister added that French fishing boats should continue to fish as normal but warned that in the event of restrictions in British waters "we shall use all state means at our disposal... to achieve compensation.
 
"We shall leave not one fisherman in difficulty ... because of Brexit," concluded Guillaume, stressing that the French fishing industry should not suffer as a result of Britain's departure from the bloc.

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Anonymous 2019/03/23 12:32
Europe wants a deal, or preferably no Brexit at all, it is the DUP and others in UK parliament making things so difficult
Anonymous 2019/03/22 15:22
Quite right too....That is exactly the way the French would behave in thissituation...."Hard ball"...
Anonymous 2019/03/22 12:31
Really - what did the French expect was going to happen when the UK left the EU? If President Macron had been more co-operative and less combative in his exchanges with the UK the situation would be different. My understanding of the withdrawl agreement if the UK left with a deal ten fishing would continue and new quotas would be part of the mew trade deal. But as Europe seems intent on UK leaving without a deal, then French and Dutch fishermen will suffer from the fallout. <br />Its going to be UK navy and gunboats affair like iceland was

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