The VesselTracker AIS gives a good indication of the small fleet of scallop dredgers still working in the area of the protests earlier this week.
Here's a French version of events (TV France3) in the Bay of Normandy earlier this week as French trawlers clashed with English and some big Scottish scallop fishing boats - the text below is Google's, hence the occasional odd trurn of phrase!
Forty fishing boats Lower Normandy decided to go to sea to meet the English vessels fishing off the Bay of Seine.
The explanation was verbal but muscular. French and British boats at sea deadweight Norman boats have this morning heading for the English ships, the ships that they would never see in their fishing area. For several weeks, the situation is tense between the shell fishermen of both countries. Lower Normandy fishermen have decided to take action and not wait until the situation is resolved in offices. A good forty French ships went to sea, off Ouistreham, to meet a dozen English and Scottish vessels.
Very quickly, the situation is tense invectives, bird names, obscene gestures. Fortunately, the battle was averted. Fishermen on both sides were even able to speak more quiet boarding a boat. After two hours, the Norman fishermen are gone, but still angry, and with the feeling of being humiliated. Some have decided to return to fight with the English ... It is "ras-le-bol total," explained the French fishermen, who see in their eyes their "resources plundered" by the British. While they are working hard to preserve the resource, meet quotas and fishing dates.
Here's another view courtesy of the BBC from the skipper of the Vertouwen, a large Scottish scallop dredger.
A Scottish shellfish supplier has described how one of his boats was attacked by French fishermen. Andy Scott, of Dumfries-based Scott Trawlers, said the crew of the scallop boat Vertrouwen had feared for its safety during the incident.
He said it was attacked in the Bay de Seine, where it was permitted to fish. He said three French fishermen eventually boarded his vessel but the skipper had been able to satisfy them he was legally entitled to fish there.
Mr Scott said he would be looking for British Navy support after the Monday morning incident which reportedly involved a number of British boats. "About seven vessels came into very close quarters with the Vertrouwen and tried to stop it fishing," he said. "It tried to continue fishing at which time the French vessels started to attack with catapults, stones and nuts and bolts. "The crew feared for their safety, they feared that the wheelhouse windows were going to be broken."
He said the number of French boats then increased to about 30 and they tried to throw ropes and nets to snare the propeller on the Vertrouwen. Mr Scott sent another of his own boats and another Scottish vessel to "lend support" to the vessel. At that point three French fishermen boarded the Vertrouwen and spoke to the skipper. "He was able to satisfy them that he was legally entitled to fish there," said Mr Scott.
The Marine Management Organisation said the Vertrouwen was one of a number of UK vessels in the area at the time. A spokesperson said: "As soon as we were made aware of the situation we contacted the French authorities and encouraged them to intervene. "They did and are continuing to deal with this matter. "We are continuing high-level negotiations with our French counterparts to seek assurances that these issues will not recur."
This article in the Sun gets closer to the nub of the conflict - the French have a voluntary closed season for scallops in the area which starts on October the 1st - which is not recognised by vessels from the UK.
From the Sun:
A CLASH between British and French fishermen in the Channel over scallop beds has led to peace talks between marine officials.
