UK gives France 48-hour deadline to resolve fishing dispute

British Foreign Minister Liz Truss accused France on Monday of behaving “unfairly” over fishing rights after it detained a British ship and threatened to impose stricter checks on vessels and trucks coming from the United Kingdom. She stated the issue “needs to be resolved within the next 48 hours” before the UK resorts to legal remedies.

“The French have made completely unreasonable threats, including to the Channel Islands and our fishing industry, and they need to withdraw those threats. Or else we will use the mechanisms of our trade agreement with the EU to take action,” Truss told Sky News. “This is not a zero-sum game, we can both benefit by trading more with each other, by working together on issues like security and defense.”