Overview

• The Lady T, a British-flagged fishing boat based in Eastbourne, was intercepted by the French Navy patrol vessel Pluvier on May 22 in the French Exclusive Economic Zone near Somme Bay.
• French authorities diverted the vessel to Boulogne-sur-Mer on May 23 after confirming it was fishing for whelks without a licence, a violation of French maritime regulations.
• The skipper of the Lady T is facing prosecution, and the vessel is at risk of confiscation, with French officials emphasizing strict enforcement of post-Brexit fishing rules.
• This incident follows the detention of another British vessel, the Francesca TO 80, days earlier for similar unlicensed fishing activities in French waters off Batz, Brittany.
• The detentions come shortly after the UK and EU finalized a 12-year deal granting mutual fishing access, which has drawn criticism from British political figures concerned about its impact on the domestic fishing industry.