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France, UK send patrol boats to Jersey in fishing row

France and Britain deployed maritime patrol vessels to the waters off the Channel island of Jersey on Thursday (May 5) as a dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights escalated.

The EU is calling for calm, after a flotilla of French trawlers sailed in protest to Jersey's main harbor and a French minister suggest earlier in the week that Paris might cut electricity to the island.

French fishermen say they are being unfairly deprived of access to rich fishing grounds off the coast of Jersey which is a self-governing British Crown Dependency.

Jersey says it is following the rules for issuing licenses set out in Britain's post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union.

This French fisherman was among those protesting off St. Helier.

He fears that 80% of French boats will disappear after the row.

''It's going to be difficult to work. It's impossible. If the agreements don't go back to normal, we're not going to be able to survive. You'll see 50% of the boats, even more than that, 80% of the French boats, who will disappear."

The representative of Normandy fishermen Hugo Lehuby said a delegation of French fishing port representatives were met by Jersey's foreign minister but that "talks were one-sided" and that no progress had been made.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the two Royal Navy vessels would remain off Jersey as a precautionary measure.

Jersey's government said Johnson had assured it of his unwavering support.