Dispute over crab pots off the coast of Cornwall
Defra Media Update: ‘The Daily Telegraph reports that ‘new tensions’ have arisen in the English Channel between British and French fishermen over crab pots off the Cornish coast. Cornish fishermen have accused French trawlers of sabotaging their pots, costing them hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) are responsible for the enforcement of the 6-12 nautical mile zone in England are aware of the allegations reported in August this year. There have been no new incidents reported since then.
The MMO has been in discussion with local fishermen and shared information with relevant French authorities.
A Defra spokesperson said:
We are very concerned to hear about these incidents. The Marine Management Organisation has been in discussion with fishermen in Cornwall about the reports of damage. They have looked into these and have passed information to other relevant authorities. We have a robust enforcement system in place. We will take appropriate action and look into any further reports, in particular whether they break relevant fisheries regulations. There was further coverage of this story in the Daily Mail, Daily Express and BBC News online.