Her Majesty’s Navy Intervenes in Franco-British Fishing Flap

Crewmen from a British warship boarded a French trawler off southwestern England on Thursday in an attempt to prevent a fishing war between the two countries’ trawlers in the Atlantic.

The Brecon, an armed mine hunter working as a fisheries protection vessel, sent a boarding party onto the Larche, a vessel involved in two recent clashes with British trawlers, after getting the French captain’s permission, the British navy said.

Skippers of the British trawlers had accused the French of deliberately running through their nets and then responding violently to British protests. The navy said the boarding party’s intent was to get the French version of events.

British Agricultural Minister John Gummer branded the reported French attacks on English trawlers as “outrageous” and called on the French government to rectify the situation.

In Paris, Fisheries Minister Charles Jossely said he “vigorously condemned” the incidents involving the trawlers, which are registered in Brittany. He promised a full inquiry.

The incidents, which have occurred sporadically over 18 months, were in international fishing waters about 16 miles northwest of the Isles of Scilly.

Crews of three fishing vessels from Cornwall--the Britannia IV, the St. Uny and the Sardia-Louise--charged that two larger French vessels ran through their nets, tearing away rigging.

“They did a lot of damage,” said Andrew Stephens, skipper of the Britannia IV, adding that the British fishermen normally notify the French of the location of their nets, to avoid problems.

According to British captains, when they approached the French ships to complain, the Larche blew its siren and crewmen started throwing pieces of metal and chain at the Cornish boats.

When the English trawler crews returned to port to describe the incident, the navy sent the Brecon to stop and board the Larche, sending over several officers in a small rubber boat.

The Brecon’s skipper, Lt. Cmdr. Richard Bourne, said he hopes the British naval presence will “take the heat out” of the situation. There was no immediate report on the results of the meeting.

The British fishermen said they had informed the French boats of the location of their nets, and instead of avoiding them, the trawlers deliberately ran over their gear.

Stephens said that running over the nets was no mistake.

“Quite simply, they were trying to put us out of business,” he said. “There are three family men aboard this boat trying to earn a living, and we cannot afford this sort of thing.”