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UK sends navy gunboats to Jersey to prevent blockade as post-Brexit fishing row with France spirals

06 May 2021 15:15 (UTC +04:00)

As tempers flare over post-Brexit fishing rights to waters around the largest Channel island, the UK is dispatching two Royal Navy river-class patrol boats to the area around Jersey amid fears of a blockade by French fishing vessels. A fleet of French boats is already on course for Jersey, APA reports citing Sky News.

The Portsmouth-based HMS Severn and HMS Tamar deployed on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, to Jersey, a Crown dependency, armed with cannons and two on-deck machine guns.

HMS Severn and HMS Tamar are deploying to Jersey to conduct maritime security patrols. This is a strictly precautionary measure and has been agreed with the Jersey government,” a Ministry of Defence spokesperson was cited as saying.

In a reciprocal move, French authorities have confirmed to Sky News that the Military Ops ship Athos will be arriving "imminently" to carry out a "patrol mission", with local reports suggesting another vessel is also en route to the waters around the British Channel Island of Jersey.