5 boats 40 boats | ||
Date 10 October 2012 or 8 October 2012 Location 24 kilometres (15 mi) off the coast of Le Havre, France. Causes Different fishing restrictions on British and French scallop fishing.
French fishermen claim the British boats were within the 19-kilometre (12 mi) fishing exclusion zone around the coast. Goals To prevent British fishermen fishing for scallops. British scallop fishermen French scallop fishermen | ||
The 2012 English Channel scallop fishing dispute, also titled the Scallop War or guerre de la coquille, occurred on 10 October 2012 or 8 October 2012, between British and French fishermen 24 kilometres (15 mi) off the coast of Le Havre, France. The dispute arose because of a difference in fishing restrictions between the two countries. British scallop fishers are allowed to fish for scallops all year round, whilst French scallop fishers are not permitted to fish between 15 May and 1 October each year.
Approximately 40 French fishing boats surrounded 5 British fishing boats and, according to the British fishermen, tried to slam into the British boats as well as throw rocks and nets to try and damage the propellers and engines. French fishermen claim that their action was in response to the British boats being inside the European Union's Common Fisheries Policy 19 kilometres (12 mi) fishing exclusion zone; British fishermen deny that they were within the exclusion zone.
The British Marine Management Organisation informed French authorities. The French Navy intervened and a meeting took place between the French and British fishermen to resolve the dispute. In total the dispute at sea lasted for more than six hours.
On 12 October 2012, British fisherman requested protection from the Royal Navy after French fisherman, Claude Milliner, threatened "to call out 250 boats or more". The Royal Navy announced that it had no plans to deploy ships from the Fishery Protection Squadron, instead relying on French authorities to keep the dispute from escalating.