Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
BY JASMINE BAILEY and CASEY BATEZEL
Image Source: SkyNews
There’s a war brewing in international waters — and it’s over ... scallops? Here’s
Sky News.
“French fishermen have reportedly rammed British boats and thrown rocks at them in
the English Channel in a brawl over scallop fishing.”
Allegedly at one point, the sea-scuffle got pretty serious. So serious, in fact, that
the French Navy was called to intervene after 40 French boats surrounded 5 British boats.
The Daily Mail spoke with a British fisherman about the incident.
“One of my crew was slightly injured after being hit in the back by a rock the size of
a bowling ball. One British boat even had flares fired at her at close range.”
So, what’s the problem here? The British are allowed to fish for scallops all year
round, whereas national regulations leave fishermen in France limited to just a five-month
season. And the BBC reports--that’s where the rivalry lies.
“In a southwest cross-channel dispute. French fishermen accuse British crews of robbery
in a row over scallops.”
While British crews may be fishing legally in international waters, the French argue
the industrial-sized fishing vessels sail from Britain to take all of the scallops.
The Guardian reports, the British have some limits.
“British vessels are allowed only 36 days of fishing in the best scallop grounds, which
include the Channel and about extend to about half the main scalloping areas. They are also
limited in the size of scallops they can take, to those over 110mm. Channel scallops tend
to be of lower quality than those from some other areas, but they are relatively plentiful,
and currently fetch about £1 a kilo.”
According to Sky News, the organization that manages Britain's fleet says British fishermen
caught close to $500 million of shellfish, including scallops, in 2011.