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More than 30 fishing boats swarmed the Minquiers yesterday, with French and Jersey fishers for the first time coming together in a show of solidarity and defiance against a new mutual threat they say could bring about the end of their industry – a new plan for Jersey's territorial waters due to be voted on next Tuesday.
At their sea-based demonstration at midday yesterday, fishers from Normandy, Brittany and Jersey explained how all parties were dissatisfied with how their livelihoods had been handled by their respective governments in the wake of Brexit.
Ahead of the protest, the Regional Fishing Committee for Normandy outlined three main demands:
But both agreed there is a new and imminent threat on the horizon: Jersey's proposed Marine Spatial Plan, which sets out how the island seeks to make 23% of the island's territorial waters marine-protected areas and lays the foundation for a potential new wind farm – due to be debated next week.
Express took a trip to the Minquiers yesterday to hear what the protesters had to say in their own words, and approached Ministers for their reaction...
Eric Leguelinel, Vice-President of Normandy's Regional Fishing Committee
"We're here to ask for fishers' voices to be heard again, as was the case in the time of the Bay of Granville Treaty [the agreement setting out fishing rights pre-Brexit, ed], and to ask for Jersey fishers to be allowed again to unload at Granville.
"We want fishers' words to be heard in the new Marine Spatial Plan. We have seen with concern the propositions of a very harsh MSP that has been brought forward in Jersey, and this worries us terribly, like Jersey fishermen."
He also took aim at post-Brexit communication rules, which means that Jersey and France cannot negotiate directly with each other anymore.
"We want to speak again to one another, like it was before Brexit."
Giving an example of working with Jersey previously on the RAMSAR zone, he added: "At the time, we worked together. The whole banned zone on the inside of the Minquiers is a zone we built together with Jersey authorities at the time, at the time of Mike Smith [former Deputy Director of Marine Resources, who was awarded a French medal for his services to the maritime community]. He was in charge at the time and a real friend. It shows we can have friends in Jersey, even in the government!"
Pictured: Eric Leguelinel speaks to media during the protest. (Dave Ferguson)
If fishers' calls for help are ignored, he hinted that more action may be on the horizon.
"I do negotiations, but I don't know what fishers will do. They will do what they think is useful.
"I think they have shown that they're reasonable, but desperate people do desperate things."
Stephen Viney, spokesperson for the Jersey Fishermen's Association
Stephen Viney was firm that Jersey fishers were united with their French counterparts.
"It was very short notice we heard about this. There was a meeting last week... There's only two of us here today. There's a few skippers on each boat.
"We haven't got many boats left, so this is probably still a high percentage of Jersey!"
"This is an opportunity for us to come down and meet with our French colleagues, showing support.
"We've got some common ground with the marine park, water quality, landing into France are some of the issues that are worrying us. The French are showing support for us and vice versa.
"I think on the French side, they're not best pleased with the way things have been moving with Paris maybe. It's at government level – fishermen level, we can work together.
"This is probably the start of having meetings again on fishermen level. Rather than go from the top down, go from the bottom up.
"I think this is the peaceful part of it, just to raise awareness, get some conversation going. And then from there, we don't know where it's going to go.
"I wouldn't rule out them coming to Jersey again, like last time. They like to protest and they're quite good at it. And they usually get what they want.
"It could [flare up again]. They've got quite a few issues that they're not happy with and i think the marine park was one thing and the wind farm was another thing, it just seems to be coming from every angle.
"Their industry, the same as ours, is suffering. And our industry in Jersey is on a knife-edge."
Guillaume Lenoir, French fisherman
Pictured: Guillaume Lenoir was at the protest together with his crew – and some French journalists. (Dave Ferguson)
Guillaume Lenoir took aim at the "political problems" and "administrative issues" which he said had locked many fishers out of waters they had long previously accessed.
"I was allowed until the end of 2023 and I've always been allowed to work here –– then, from one day to the next, this right was taken away from me.
"We'd like to reestablish bilateral relations with Jersey again."
Pictured: French fishing boats – most from Cherbourg – came to the Minquiers to build ties with Jersey. (Dave Ferguson)
"We're ready for a conversation, that's not a problem, we want to move forward with certain things but we don't have a government that defends us.
"I changed boats in 2019 and my rights to fish in Jersey went away in 2019 with that boat, but I couldn't have known. My boat, a Brisker, is a complicated case for Jersey waters.
"I don't know [if there will be more protests in the future]. We'll see. It's really a protest that's in good spirits, we're taking it with a smile."
Steve Channing, Jersey fisherman and MD of Provider Fisheries
"I've never seen the two industries so close, totally united in how they feel.
Referring to the mutual threat of the Marine Spatial Plan, he added: "We've always had our own agendas, they've had theirs. But now we are a team."
Response from External Relations Minister Ian Gorst
Minister for External Relations, Ian Gorst said: “We understand the fishers’ frustrations, and we continue to engage with our French colleagues on these issues.
"Jersey has long asked for, and remains supportive of, Granville’s objective of opening a SIVEP border inspection post to reinvigorate trade between the island and Normandy.
“We continue to work with the French fishing fleet and their representatives, the French regional and national authorities and the European Commission to deliver a progressive yet stable fisheries management system for the waters in the Normano-Breton Gulf.”
Deputy Steve Luce, Environment Minister, who will propose the Marine Spatial Plan – which was developed under the previous government – for debate next week
Deputy Luce said he acknowledged the industry was "under pressure" and in particular that the MSP would be a "challenge" for some fishermen, particularly those using dredging and trawling gear.
It was one of the reasons he had proposed dropping the proposed protected areas covered by the Marine Spatial Plan from 27% to 23%, he said.
"The changes I've made are a compromise, which I have done deliberately to help those who are most affected."
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