Tag Archives: Jersey
Fishermen turning back to port early as fuel costs rise
Jersey’s fishing fleet is struggling amid huge increases in fuel costs and is unable to compete on a level playing field with its French counterparts, who are receiving emergency government subsidies, according to an industry representative. ‘The rises over the last two weeks have been the biggest seen in history. The price of fuel is getting close to treble what it was at the start of the year,’ he said. This week the French government announced it would be providing fuel subsidies as various sectors and the population struggle to cope with rising costs brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. >click to read< 09:07
‘French fishermen want direct talks with Jersey’
Chris Le Masurier, of the Jersey Oyster Company, who delivered produce to St Malo yesterday, said that the fishers were protesting against the political process going through the EU and UK rather than being settled locally.,, ‘I was delayed for an hour because I was allotted a slot at the time of the protest, which was at 8am. I was skippering the vessel. After that I moved alongside one of the French boats for a chat. I spoke to Pascal Lecler, the chairman of the fisheries committee in Brittany. He said that he wanted me to pass a message to the Jersey government and that was to come and talk directly with Normandy and Brittany. He gave me a Breton flag and I then dropped off all my seafood and returned to the Island,’ >click to read< 08:39
Extortion: France will reduce Jersey electricity supply this winter, unless fishermen granted licences for British waters
Speaking on Friday, outspoken French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said his government would hold firm against Britain and continue to demand more fishing licences. The European minister said that France may be forced to cut electricity, although not totally, to the Channel Island of Jersey, a self-governing dependency of the United Kingdom, during the winter as part of a “targeted” retaliation in the fishing dispute. >click to read< 07:39
Call for ‘full investigation’ into alleged bluefin tuna fishing breach
Tensions with France increased again last week after a French vessel was accused of catching about 1.2 tonnes of bluefin tuna off the west coast. There is a ban on targeting or catching the fish in Jersey waters, but the species can be caught in French seas. The government has confirmed it is investigating reports of the species being caught in the Island’s waters. According to the Wildlife (Jersey) Law 2021, anyone found to have killed protected species in Jersey is liable to two years in prison and a fine. The JEP asked the government what was being done to investigate the matter, whether any officers were travelling to France to speak to the skipper involved in the alleged incident and how long the inquiry was expected to take. No response had been received by the time of going to print. >click to read< 09:45
Stuck in a Dead End: Jersey fishermen give away lobsters after France bans them from selling in French ports
Fishermen at St Helier Port, which was blockaded by French rivals this week, said they had been left in a vicious cycle due to the dispute. France issued a legal notice to British fishermen last night that they were no longer welcome into French ports after one Jersey boat was threatened with violence and turned back. Fisherman Wayne Auger, 46, said: ‘Nobody really knows how this is going to end. ‘The French want to fish on our waters and had this amnesty from our government after Brexit. ‘But we can pay sums like £60,000 for a licence and they pay nothing to fish alongside us. ‘Many of us are running out of bait for the lobster pots and won’t be fishing because we can’t sell the fish to France and the local need isn’t that big.’ photos, >click to read< 14:15
Jersey’s historic fishing fleet is missing out on thousands of pounds each week and eventually will collapse
Michael Michieli, owner of L’Ecume II, said that there were now only a small number of Jersey vessels going to sea as the local market was too small to support them. His comments came after harbours in La Manche, which includes the crucial Granville and Carteret ports, were formally closed to Island fishermen. The government says it is raising the issue with the European Commission. The closure happened just a day after a high-profile blockade of the Harbour involving around 70 boats from across Brittany and Normandy, as tensions grow over the issuing of licences allowing European boats access to Jersey waters as part of a post-Brexit trade deal. >click to read< 09:42
Fishing boat runs aground after man at helm nods off
Boat owner Michael Michieli, and the crew member who nodded off after being left in charge, were rescued by the emergency services. Neither was injured. Describing the incident, Mr Michieli’s daughter Rebecca said: ‘They had been over to France and they had been working for 48 hours. ‘My dad was resting and asleep downstairs, and as they got closer to Jersey the crew member in the wheelhouse also fell asleep for a few minutes. Lockdown restrictions have devastated the export market. Many local fishermen, including Mr Michieli, have since been making a living by selling their catch from ‘pop-up’ stalls. Ms Michieli added: ‘It was purely an accident and we are very grateful to everyone who came to help. It was just one of those things – and my dad even joked that he should say they were just trying to create a pop-up fish stall.’ >click to read< 18:57
Fishing vessel aground near St Aubin
A fishing boat ran aground south west of St Aubin’s Fort, in the early hours of this morning (Thursday 14 May) Jersey Police say the two crew members on board the 17m boat called L’Ecume II were attempting to secure it. They were rescued at approximately 3am. The vessel has now been refloated following the high tide and the island’s Harbourmaster, Captain Bill Sadler, says there were no signs of pollution caused by the incident. more photo’s, >click to read< 17:11
The $2 million fish? Jersey fishermen calling on government to allow targeting the bluefin tuna market
Don Thompson, president of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association, said Jersey should look to Prince Edward Island, the smallest Canadian province, whose industry for commercial and charter boat tuna fishing is worth about $2 million a year. In recent years, fishermen have reported seeing an ‘abundance’ of Atlantic blue fin tuna – which are classified as endangered – around the Island in the summer months but there is a total ban on catching them for Jersey vessels. No such ban applies to French boats. French newspaper Ouest France reported that 5.4 tonnes of tuna were landed at Granville market last year. A single fish can be worth thousands of pounds. >click to read< 21:18
