France frees UK trawler caught up in Channel fishing spat

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A British-registered scallop boat caught up in a spat between the U.K. and France over fishing licences has been released by French authorities. Owner Macduff Shellfish said Wednesday that the scallop dredger had set sail from Le Havre in northern France. French maritime police seized the Cornelis Gert Janoff off the Normandy coast last week and detained its skipper and crew over a paperwork infraction. The vessel became a symbol of a bigger feud between the U.K. and France over fishing rights in the English Channel. A Macduff Shellfish spokesperson said, “We are pleased to have this matter resolved and delighted that our crew and vessel are now able to return home.”