An armada of British boats is planning to return to contentious waters off northern France on Monday in a show of defiance after "scallop wars" erupted this week.

Up to 40 scallop trawlers from the UK will re-enter the waters of Baie-de-Seine en masse in the hope that, with safety in numbers, they can continue to fish in France's plentiful waters.

The planned act of defiance came as French fishermen discussed arming themselves with catapults and other weapons in an apparent escalation against what one called “F---ing s----y rosbifs [roast beefs].”

One trainee fisherman from Ver-sur-Mer in Normandy even urged crews to "get out the guns" should the British return. “The war isn’t finished. They’re going to come back with more boats, we’ll have to get out the heavy artillery," said Pierre Sophie in one online exchange.

Anthony Quesnel, skipper of the Rose des Vents, a French trawler involved in the skirmishes, said the attack was "worth it" as they managed to chase off the British boats and prevent them dredging scallops. ”We may have won a battle but we haven't won the war," he added.