Former first sea lord and Labour peer says UK has ‘insufficient ships’ to patrol its waters

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A former chief of the naval staff has said the UK has “insufficient ships” to patrol its waters after clashes between British and French fishing crews over scallops.



The ex-first sea lord and Labour peer, Lord West of Spithead, says co-ordination of the “few” ships that Britain has is “fragmented” and the lack of boats will have “disastrous” consequences post-Brexit.

The long-running dispute in the English Channel is over a scallop-rich part of the area that French fishers are prevented from harvesting due to domestic environmental laws.

Rocks, smoke bombs and other projectiles are reported to have been hurled at English and Scottish vessels during the confrontation in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Gove backs UK scallop fishermen who clashed with French rivals Read more

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Lord West said: “It is clear that we have insufficient ships to patrol the United Kingdom’s territorial seas and our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

“Co-ordination of the few ships we do have is fragmented. In theory, co-ordination is exercised by the co-located Joint Maritime Operations Command Centre.

“But this command centre lacks a single commander with authority to order government departments to take action, and therefore is unable to exercise proper command.

“After Brexit, this will be disastrous.”

When Britain leaves the bloc it will be responsible for patrolling its EEZ.

The scallop-rich waters of the Baie de Seine are a source of tension due to differing restrictions on what British and French fishers can do there. French authorities try to preserve scallop stocks by banning their ships from fishing in the region over the summer, a measure that ends on 1 October. This law does not apply to the British, however, who are harvesting scallops during this window, angering the French mariners.

The EU’s Common Fisheries Policy allows any member state with a registered fleet – including Britain – “equal access” to EU waters more than 12 nautical miles off the shore of other countries.

The Baie de Seine stretches from the coast of Normandy to considerably beyond the 12 nautical miles, meaning British boats can access it.