France and the UK could be heading to a fishing war after a Government Minster warned that “two can play at that game” over the detention of a Scottish trawler.
George Eustice said the UK could respond in turn if France goes ahead with threats amid a row over post-Brexit fishing rights.
France has said it could stop British boats from landing if the dispute over licences which has led to the trawler owned by Macduff Shellfish of Scotland being seized and another fined during checks off Le Havre on Thursday.
French authorities said the detained vessel, the Cornelis Gert Jan, did not have a licence.
This has been denied by its owner and the captain of the scallop dredger will face a court hearing in August next year, French authorities said.
French Ministers warned they would block British boats from landing their catches in some ports next week and tighten checks on UK boats and trucks if the dispute over allowing French boats fishing licences off the UK coast not resolved by November 2.
France has also warned it could cut electricity supplies to Jersey, a British Crown dependency, as it previously threatened in May.
George Eustice said the language being by French officials was “inflammatory” and told Sky News Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will challenge the French ambassador over what the nation intends to do next in the fishing row.
Eustice added: “We don’t know what they’ll do, they said they wouldn’t introduce these measures until Tuesday probably at the earliest so we will see what they do.
"But if they do bring these into place, well, two can play at that game and we reserve the ability to respond in a proportionate way.”
Eustice said he was raising the issue with the European Commission, while France’s ambassador has been summoned for talks at the Foreign Office in an unprecedented move in relations between the two neighbouring countries.
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
