Military re-enactment enthusiast shoots MUSKET into the air at Jersey blockade

A member of the Jersey Militia re-enactment group has fired a musket in the direction of the ongoing stand-off between the Royal Navy and 100 French fishing vessels.

The fishing boats are blocking entry to the port at Saint Helier in a row over post-Brexit fishing guidelines, prompting Boris Johnson to deploy Navy vessels HMS Severn and HMS Tamar.

The ships – that are each considerably bigger than French navy boat Athos despatched by Emmanuel Macron – are armed with menacing cannons and machine weapons.

But one historic re-enactment enthusiast in the British Crown dependency felt the urge to intervene along with his personal weaponry.

The lone man – who has not been named – shot a blank-firing musket into the water from Elizabeth Castle in a defiant protest this morning.

A member of the Jersey Militia re-enactment group has fired a musket in the direction of the ongoing stand-off between the Royal Navy and 100 French fishing vessels over post-Brexit fishing guidelines

One historic re-enactment enthusiast in the British Crown dependency felt the urge to intervene along with his personal weaponry

The ‘invading’ French ships arrange a blockade in the harbour at St Helier on the Channel Island of Jersey on Thursday morning, stopping boats from leaving port 

Supporters of the navy re-enactment enthusiast rushed to social media to share their ideas 

Footage exhibits him loading up his weapon earlier than firing it into the harbour, as plumes of smoke billow round him.  

Witnesses on the floor counted 100 small vessels on the uneven water this morning, with French fishermen setting off flares and hoisting banners calling for entry to the waters.

Why are Jersey and France warring over fishing rights?

What have been the pre-Brexit preparations for fishing waters?  

Until January 1 this yr, the UK was topic to the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). That meant that fleets from EU states had equal entry to the the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of different nations.  

EEZ areas stretch 200 nautical miles from the coast of every state, or to a maritime midway level between neighbouring nations. The British fishing trade had lengthy complained that the preparations meant EU fleets have been plundering what must be their catch.   

What has modified?

The post-Brexit commerce deal sealed between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen earlier than Christmas gave EU fleets transitional rights to UK fishing waters. The EU fishing quota for UK waters was diminished by 15 per cent this yr, and can go down one other 2.5 share factors annually till 2026.

From that time the UK will in principle have the proper to ban the bloc’s fishing fleets altogether, though there’ll should be annual negotiations. Crucially for the present state of affairs, UK and EU vessels now require a licence to fish in one another’s waters. 

What are the French offended about? 

A row has erupted over the particular laws launched by the Jersey authorities to implement the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. They require French boats to display they’ve a historical past of fishing in Jersey’s waters in an effort to get licences, with Jersey adamant that’s what the TCA units out. However, the French authorities declare these ‘new technical measures’ for accessing waters off the Channel Islands haven’t been communicated to the EU.

As a consequence they’ve been dismissed as ‘null and void’. There are additionally disputed allegations that Jersey has been dragging its heels in approving licences for boats which have utilized. 

So, what may occur now and would it not ever REALLY finish in struggle?

There is a large quantity of sabre-rattling happening, with the UK deploying the navy to counter a unprecedented blockage by French fishing vessels. French ministers have been backing their fishing fleet, threatening to chop energy to the Channel Island in retaliation. When such confrontations develop there may be at all times the threat of a miscalculation and actual clashes.

Boris Johnson has urged the French to make use of the ‘mechanisms of our new treaty to resolve issues’ moderately than resort to threats. There are rumours of a name between Mr Johnson and Emmanuel Macron, though No10 stated there may be nothing organized but.

And French fishermen on tiny vessels stated they have been able to restage the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar throughout the protests.

Jean-Claude La Vaullée, skipper of Le Cach, stated: ‘I’ve refuelled the boat – we’re able to restage the Battle of Trafalgar.’

The battle was an enormous defeat for the French and Spanish fleets, as Admiral Lord Nelson led the Royal Navy to a historic victory. 

The channel row is the results of Jersey implementing new necessities below the phrases of the UK-EU commerce deal for boats to submit proof of their previous fishing actions in an effort to obtain a licence to hold on working in its waters.

Earlier as we speak, Athos hurtled in the direction of Jersey to confront HMS Severn and HMS Tamar – regardless of them being far superior in measurement and energy. 

Paris warned yesterday it may minimize off electrical energy to the island – which is essentially provided through an undersea cable.

The sabre-rattling Prime Minister will maintain his eye on occasions in the Channel all through as we speak as voters take to the polling cubicles in the native elections.

It comes after French maritime minister Annick Girardin yesterday accused the Channel Island of dragging its ft over issuing new licences to French fishing boats.

She stated France was able to take ‘retaliatory measures’ – suggesting it may minimize its energy, with 95 per cent of its electrical energy coming from France.

David Sellam, the head of the Normandy-Brittany sea authority, added he believes Jersey has been taken over by an ‘extremist fringe who need to cut back French fishing entry and revenue from Brexit’.

He stated: ‘We’re prepared for struggle. We can deliver Jersey to its knees if needed.’ 

Jersey fisherman Josh Dearing was astonished by the scenes on the sleepy island, describing the port this morning as ‘like an invasion’.

The blockade evokes recollections of the Cod Wars which occurred in the North Atlantic throughout the Nineteen Seventies, when at instances the Royal Navy stopped Icelandic boats from interfering with British trawlers.

Maritime monitoring web sites this morning confirmed HMS Severn had arrived in Jersey ‘to conduct maritime safety patrols’. It is an older Batch 1 patrol vessel outfitted with 20mm cannons and seven.62mm machine weapons.

HMS Tamar, a Batch 2 vessel with a 30mm MK44 Bushmaster cannon, has additionally arrived and was noticed looming over the tiny French vessels.

Around 100 French boats have been in the harbour this morning, with some crews setting off flares throughout the protest.

The chief of the demonstration had requested the French boats to depart the harbour to let a freight ferry – the Commodore Goodwill – depart. 

Jersey fisherman Josh Dearing described the scene at the port of St Helier on Thursday morning as ‘like an invasion’.

The 28-year-old stated: ‘There have been just a few hand-held flares and smoke flares going off and apparently just a few possibly bangers and stuff going off from the French.’

He stated the French fleet was principally made up of ‘large French dredgers and trawlers’ of about 12 metres or extra.

HMS Tamar looms in the mist behind French fishing boats participating in the protest on Thursday morning over their post-Brexit fishing rights

He added: ‘It was fairly a sight. It was spectacular, I seemed from the shore this morning and it was similar to a sea of pink lights and flares already going off at sea. It was like an invasion.’

He stated there had been rumblings a couple of deliberate protest just a few days in the past however he had not been certain if it was ‘critical or empty threats’.

He added: ‘The French being the French, they do not fiddle. They can blockade their very own harbours – they would not assume twice about coming and doing it to us.’ 

Romain Davodet, one other French fisherman, stated that they had been advised the Jersey resolution ‘have been irreversible’ and round 250 vessels confronted catastrophe, together with ‘greater than 2,000 jobs ashore.’

A flotilla of fishing vessels are seen in St Helier harbour, Jersey, as French fishermen protest publish Brexit modifications to fishing in the space. The HMS Tamar is seen right here looming behind a small fishing boat

Two Royal Navy gunships have began patrolling the coast off Jersey as 100 French fishing boats threaten to blockade the harbour of the British Crown dependency. Pictured: French boats pen in a British vessel in St Helier Harbour this morning

Another, Théo Marais, added: ‘I’m having my first boat constructed.

‘I’m 24, it is a Euro 825,000 boat that I’m not even certain I can launch it! We love our jobs.

‘We do not need to reside on help, what we wish is to work.’

The Ministry of Defence stated: ‘HMS Severn and HMS Tamar are deploying to Jersey to conduct maritime safety patrols. This is a strictly precautionary measure and has been agreed with the Jersey Government.’

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