The British government on Friday threatened to arrest French fishing trawlers in retaliation. The government in Paris, however, reiterated its threat of sanctions against the United Kingdom. UK Environment Secretary George Eustice told the BBC: “We reserve the right to respond appropriately, of course.” France had seized a British ship off Le Havre in the dispute on Thursday because it was said to have been sailing in its territorial waters without a license.
Great Britain has promised the EU that it will issue licenses to EU fishermen who were operating in British waters before Brexit on January 31, 2020. France accuses the government in London of withholding these papers, which the UK denies. British waters are among the richest in fish in the North Sea and North Atlantic and account for most of the EU catch. The fisheries were the most sensitive issue in the exit negotiations, alongside the status of Northern Ireland.
