The Brixham registered scallop trawler, Van Dijck, was diverted to berth at Ouistreham on the
Normandy coast on Tuesday after the French Navy conducted an on-board inspection
12 nautical miles off the French side of the Channel. It was ordered to return
the scallops to the sea.
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| Typical examples of big scallopers like the Van Dijck. |
Skipper Gary Smith, 47, faces charges of violating French territorial waters
and switching off his vessel monitoring system, which together carry a maximum
sentence of a year in prison and a total fine of 97,500 euros. He must now pay
50,000 euros (£80,000) bail to be allowed to return to the UK before a May 15
hearing. “He argues that he had turned off the transponder so that a nearby Scottish
trawler could not follow him and fish in the same spot,” said Caen vice
prosecutor Bruno Albisetti. “He claims he miscalculated his position by failing to take into account low
tide,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
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| The Van Dijck on her way back to sea after being detained in Ostende. |
The British fishermen claimed they had been fishing legally in international
waters while their French counterparts accuse them of encroaching into their
territorial waters and ruining efforts to preserve stocks. Mr Smith and his crew had vowed not to be “intimated” by French threats to
mount a 250-boat armada to block the British, and had painted a union jack on
his vessel.
On Wednesday, Richard Brouzes, head of the Lower Normandy fisherman’s organisation, OPBN, called for calm, saying tensions had dropped since October. “If this boat was stopped then perhaps it had entered the 12-mile zone where the numbers of scallops are perhaps higher. It’s tempting. But error is human, and it’s happened before that French boats have strayed into British waters,” he said.
The scallop population is abundant this year, with numbers around 50 per cent higher than normal. “There are enough scallops for everyone. Our fisherman have other worries,” he said.
The French and British are due to hold talks over fishing rights this spring after one intransigent Gallic fishing representative blocked a deal in September.
In a separate hearing on Wednesday, the Caen prosecutor called for a year fishing ban on a Scottish trawler, the Mattanja, and a fine of 20,000 euros for identical offences in September. A verdict is due on January 16.
The story as it appeared in the Daily Telgraph today.
Other related stories covered by the Telgraph include:
On Wednesday, Richard Brouzes, head of the Lower Normandy fisherman’s organisation, OPBN, called for calm, saying tensions had dropped since October. “If this boat was stopped then perhaps it had entered the 12-mile zone where the numbers of scallops are perhaps higher. It’s tempting. But error is human, and it’s happened before that French boats have strayed into British waters,” he said.
The scallop population is abundant this year, with numbers around 50 per cent higher than normal. “There are enough scallops for everyone. Our fisherman have other worries,” he said.
The French and British are due to hold talks over fishing rights this spring after one intransigent Gallic fishing representative blocked a deal in September.
In a separate hearing on Wednesday, the Caen prosecutor called for a year fishing ban on a Scottish trawler, the Mattanja, and a fine of 20,000 euros for identical offences in September. A verdict is due on January 16.
The story as it appeared in the Daily Telgraph today.
Other related stories covered by the Telgraph include: