Overview

• The Lady T, a British fishing vessel from Eastbourne, was impounded by French authorities on May 22 for fishing whelks without proper licensing in French waters.
• French officials suggested the seizure was a retaliatory action after a French vessel was fined £40,000 in the UK for breaching maritime rules.
• The skipper of the Lady T appeared in court in Boulogne-sur-Mer and was required to pay a substantial, undisclosed fine before the vessel was released on May 26.
• The incident has reignited diplomatic tensions between the UK and France, with UK officials criticizing France for unequal enforcement of maritime rules.
• The dispute follows a controversial UK-EU trade agreement granting European fishermen access to British waters for 12 years, which has drawn criticism from parts of the UK fishing industry.