No, UK & Jersey did NOT license 100 extra French boats to buy Macron’s climbdown

Revealed: How fake news was posted to discredit the UK

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2021

Facts4EU.Org exposes Remainers’ rumour mill ramblings following our report yesterday

Since Monday night when President Macron dramatically retreated from France’s midnight ultimatum to the UK and Jersey, reports have circulated in Remainer circles that the French President’s climbdown was ‘bought’ by the UK and Jersey accepting more French fishing vessels being licensed.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The facts about UK and Channel Island licences for French boats

The UK issued no new licences on Monday (prior to President Macron’s withdrawal of his ultimatum)
Jersey agreed temporary licences for 49 French boats on 27 Oct, BEFORE the French ultimatum was even issued
The UK, Jersey, and Guernsey have issued a total of 2,008 licences to EU fishing boats
Jersey and Guernsey are NOT part of the UK, they are democratic, self-governing, Crown Dependencies
There is no change – France must supply evidence for extra licences, as other EU countries have done

Facts4EU.Org’s own reporting has been dismissed by Remainers desperate to show that Macron won and the UK lost. Here is just one example:-

“You'll find that we gave the French the licences they were after. Truth eh!
#brexit #brexitreality”
Posted on Twitter to Brexit Facts4EU.Org and Lord Frost

The above tweet also quoted a former Remainer MEP with 28,000 followers. In addition, various media have reported extra licences suddenly being added, immediately prior to President Macron's retreat from his ultimatum.

There’s just one problem for these Remainers… And it involves something called “facts”.

Neither the United Kingdom nor Jersey has changed its position

Fact 1 – Did Jersey agree on Monday to 49 new licences for French boats? No.

Last Wednesday morning (27 Oct 2021) – BEFORE France’s ultimatum in the evening – Jersey officials had a meeting with French, EU, and UK officials at which it was agreed that 49 French vessels would be given temporary licences for the next three months. This is to give the French even more time to provide evidence that these boats have ever fished in Jersey’s waters before. This is something the French and the EU have been unable to do for many months.

Unsurprisingly the Jersey government was then taken aback by the French government’s ultimatum which was published that evening via Twitter. In a joint statement issued the following morning by Jersey’s Minister for Environment and the Minister for External Relations, they stated:

Deputy John Young

“We are extremely disappointed at the French government's announcement, made yesterday afternoon, pursuing an approach of retaliatory measures.”
“The outcome of that meeting [of last Wednesday morning] was that 162 French vessels will be licensed to fish in Jersey's territorial waters from this Friday. Of the 162 licences, 113 are permanent… Vessels that receive a temporary licence will be able to fish in Jersey waters until 31 January 2022, to give them time to provide further data which is necessary to secure a permanent licence.”
Jersey Government statement on fishing, 28 Oct 2021

Senator Ian Gorst

Did Jersey change its position on Monday, to persuade President Macron to withdraw his ultimatum? No. Did it license more French boats on Monday to buy off President Macron? No.

Jersey’s stance continues to be that it has licensed all French boats according to the rules. As a gesture of goodwill made BEFORE the French ultimatum they even gave temporary 3-month licences to almost 50 more.

Fact 2 – Did the UK issue more licences to French boats on Monday? No.

Yesterday a Downing Street spokesman said the talks were not taking place about “the underlying approach”. As ever the talks have continued to be technical, on a boat-by-boat basis. For clarity he added:

“No new licences were issued to French vessels over recent days.”

Facts4EU.Org checked the latest official data updated yesterday by the Marine Management Organisation (the UK Single Licensing Authority) and it is true that no new licences have been issued.

Did the UK change its position on Monday, to persuade President Macron to withdraw his ultimatum? No. Did it license more French boats on Monday to buy off President Macron? No.

Why can’t the French simply follow ‘the rule of law’ which the EU is so keen on?

On Monday the Chief Minister of Jersey, Senator John Le Fondré, gave an interview to Times Radio, during which he said he found it “difficult to understand” why many French boats hadn’t been able to produce the required information to obtain a licence. Prior to the new arrangements, licences were governed under the ‘Bay of Granville agreement’, he pointed out. This “laid down requirements for them to record their fishing records.”

Speaking about the 55 French boats which have not yet been granted either a temporary or permanent licence, Senator Le Fondré said: “Obviously if they come back tomorrow and say here’s the data, then they’ll get a licence.”

Over 2,000 licences issued to EU by UK, Jersey, and Guernsey

As of yesterday (02 Nov 2021), the UK had issued licences for 1,679 EU fishing vessels – 738 to the French alone. The Jersey government has issued 162 - all to the French.

Never mentioned is Jersey's neighbour Guernsey, also a Crown Dependency, reporting separately. Guernsey has issued 167 temporary licences to EU fishing vessels. This takes the number of licences currently issued by the UK, Jersey, and Guernsey to the EU Commission to a grand total of 2,008. [Source: MMO, 02 Nov 2021]

Observations

Both the government of the UK and that of Jersey appear to have been consistent in their dealings with the French and with the EU. 'Provide the necessary proof, even if it’s much flimsier than it should be, and we will issue a licence.'

Incidentally, some commentators seem to be unaware that the UK's licences and Jersey's licences are counted separately. The reason for this is simple. Jersey is a democratic self-governing Crown Dependency and it is not part of the United Kingdom.

As we reported yesterday, neither the EU Commission nor the EU Council seem prepared to back the French position in this conflict. The EU even decided to withdraw 17 French licence applications because the evidence was so lacking in any credibility. Off the record, some Jersey politicians and many Jersey and UK fishermen say that this also applies to many licences for French boats that have actually been granted.

As time rolls by, it is increasingly apparent that this French ‘issue’ is as manufactured as the EU’s issue with the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which led to the appalling N.I. Protocol.

The EU and the Irish government weaponised and quasi-annexed Northern Ireland. President Macron has weaponised the issue of sovereign UK waters and is using it to his own political advantage.

In each case we believe it’s imperative that the UK government stands firm and refuses to kowtow to unreasonable and hostile behaviours.

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[ Sources: Government of Jersey | No.10 | Times Radio | UK Marine Management Organisation | EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Wed 03 Nov 2021

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Reader Comments 11

1. Lucy, Norfolk , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 08:26:

Excellent reporting as always, thank you for setting the record straight.

2. Milly , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 09:39:

Why is it we never hear how many licenses have been issued to uk fishing vessels? Could it be tiny in comparison? Its a bit much when more french vessels can fish in uk waters than british vessels.

3. Fred Dawson , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 09:47:

Remainiacs?..non so blind, nor so deaf as those that don't want see or hear the truth.

4. Amanda McClenaghan , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 09:49:

Glad to hear we didn’t capitulate and very reassuring to read this factual news thank you Facts4EU

5. Diane , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 10:34:

(2) (2) Milly - Probably correct but so many complexities it seems but as one comparison - GB News / NF has reported recently that in relation to the French 6-12 mile zone specifically, we have access for "fewer than a handful" of boats. In relation to our own 6-12 mile zone waters, where our own fishermen (sic) felt, and were, very badly let down on that part of the EU/UK agreement, reportedly more than 100 French boats have access up to the 6 mile line.

6. Not4EU , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 11:32:

I find it astonishing how flimsy the excuses given to grant licences to foreign fleets are. It's almost as if the Govt agreed to maintain the French fishing fleet as it was, whilst ignoring our own fleet. Brown envelopes? Haven't seen any plans to grow the sector nor ergonomically regenerate our coastal fishing areas either.
Things that I haven't seen reported...
Are the fishing licences being granted free or are they paid for, particularly the stock stripping Supertrawlers that have inexplicably been allowed to carry on their devastation of stocks? Are they required to pay over a % of their profits to HMT to compensate for stock loss? The lack of reporting of revenue generation for the Treasury would seem to indicate that the British public are being conned yet again, in basically funding the EU fleet to continue to plunder our waters whilst the corrupt fill their pockets further. Drinks all around, comrades.

7. Bob, Lincs , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 11:45:

Nice to see all the rectifications in the scum media ........ not.

8. Ian Small , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 11:55:

The evidence has been produced and Macron knows it - many French boats have claimed a history of fishing in UK waters but the GPS historical data disputes that, so they lied. Boris suggested publishing the data so Macron wet himself.

9. jon livesey , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 18:18:

Remain pretending that the UK bought off mighty Napoleon Macron is really a good sign, because it shows that they are still stuck in the denial stage of their long mourning process. What I notice is that the scale of Remainer "told you so" myths gets smaller and smaller. From three million lost jobs all the way down to an overnight Macron tantrum.
If this is all Remain can produce, it's really proof that Remain is now just a tweet now and again, and no substance.

10. Tony , Wednesday, November 03, 2021, 23:02:

9. On the contrary, "Brexit concern" polls climb higher every month, even among Daily Fail readers. It's just a handful of you here who are still distracted by political gimmicks. None of you even realised another totalitarian tip-toe today by the Tories when they voted to lower the bar just so one of their own could stay on the gravy train - blind is an understatement. Even Tory-Lite, Keir had to call it out for what it is - corruption; third world style.
But keep on focusing on a fishing industry that was thrown under a big red bus with another lie scrawled on it & voted for by yourselves. I would say I told you so - but you know you're the cause of all this nonsense. It's called "The sunk cost fallacy" - look it up.

11 comments, page 1 of 2

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