reportedly been told of a “nightmare” scenario, in which French fishermen would blockade ports and
paralyse cross-Channel trade at the end of the year.
Officials are worried that Calais is uniquely vulnerable to even a small-scale protest against attempts to
restrict the access of EU fishing fleets to UK waters. Amelie de Montchalin, France’s Europe minister, has
warned that, without a deal, fishing could become a “very nasty battle” and could collapse the entire trade
deal. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, is believed to have warned other EU leaders that a failure to
retain access to UK waters would trigger further street protests and civil unrest in his country.
Speaking to the Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee, Mr Eustice said enforcement capacity
has been boosted five-fold, in line with fears, last year, of a no-deal Brexit. The planned decommissioning of
older vessels had been shelved and more staff given training to board vessels, with “warranted” powers.
Neil Hornby, director of marine and fisheries at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
said border force vessels could be brought in if necessary. Mr Eustice also sought to dismiss fears that the
entire trade deal could be lost over the fishing dispute, suggesting EU countries without fishing fleets in the
North Sea would not allow it.
But Lord Teverson, a Liberal Democrat former MEP, told the minister he needed to “get real”, saying there
was “not a snowball’s chance in hell” that the EU won’t tie fisheries access to trade.
The environment secretary said the UK was seeking an arrangement with the EU similar to Norway’s, with
annual negotiations based on the scientific evidence on fish stocks, but possibly a multi-year framework.
But, if no deal could be reached by the end of June, the UK would automatically become an “independent
coastal state” from next January, with the power to determine access arrangements.
“We would automatically take back control of our exclusive economic zone and there would be an
obligation on both us and the European Union to work towards a sensible annual negotiation at the end of
this year,” Mr Eustice said.