France threatens Channel Islands’ power supply

France on Tuesday warned that it could cut the power supply of the British crown dependencies of the Channel Islands to put pressure on London over fishing rights.

Britain has refused to grant all the fishing licences sought by French boats as part of a post-Brexit access deal, leaving Paris furious and fishermen worried for their livelihoods.

France “will not stand for this”, European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told the Europe 1 broadcaster.

He did not expand further, but the warning echoes an earlier threat by Fisheries Minister Annick Girardin who said in May that the fishing row could have an impact on “the power supply by undersea cable” from France to Jersey.

Channel Islands Jersey and Guernsey are close to France which supplies them with electricity.

France said last week that it would quickly lay out retaliatory measures over fishing rights “towards the British and also our neighbours in Jersey”.

Fishing rights for EU boats in UK waters were a key stumbling block to negotiations for a post-Brexit trade accord between London and Brussels after Britain’s exit from the bloc on January 1, 2021.

The dispute flared in May when a flotilla of around 50 French trawlers massed in front of the Saint Helier harbour on Jersey, a self-governing territory that along with fellow crown dependency Guernsey depends on Britain for its defence.