UK pledges retaliation to French fishing rights threats

By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s environment minister has pledged to retaliate if France carries through on threats to block U.K. ships from French ports. He warned Friday that “two can play at that game’’ in the worsening dispute rooted in Britain’s departure from the European Union. Britain summoned the French ambassador for a dressing-down after French authorities fined two British fishing vessels and kept one in port overnight Thursday. France has threatened  to block British boats and tighten checks on U.K. vessels unless French vessels get more permits to fish in U.K. waters.  France also suggested it might restrict energy supplies to the Channel Islands, British Crown dependencies that lie off the coast of France.