Fishing talks held as French blockade of British boats looms

By PAN PYLAS and ANGELA CHARLTON
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Last-ditch talks are taking place as a threatened French blockade of British boats and trucks looms in just a few hours. The European Commission called a meeting Monday involving officials from Britain, France and the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, which are self-governing British Crown dependencies with control over their own territorial waters, “to allow for a swift solution on the outstanding issues.” The U.K. downplayed the significance of Monday’s meeting, saying it was “part of the ongoing, continuing discussions.” France has threatened to bar British boats from some of its ports and tighten checks on boats and trucks carrying British goods if more French vessels aren’t licensed to fish in U.K. waters by Tuesday.