UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Navy vessels would remain in place to monitor the situation in waters of the the British Channel island of Jersey as both sides are involved in a post-Brexit fishing dispute.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister reiterated his unequivocal support for Jersey and confirmed that the two royal navy offshore patrol vessels "would remain in place to monitor the situation as a precautionary measure", according to a statement from 10 Downing Street.
Last week, the Jersey government introduced a new licensing system under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), requiring French boats to show they have a history of fishing in the island's waters to obtain permits for operation in the area, reports Xinhua news agency.
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French fishermen complained about the difficulties in obtaining the fishing licenses and France even warned it could cut electricity supplies to Jersey.
As the largest of the Channel Islands, Jersey imported 95 per cent of its electricity from France.
"It's really important that we are able to work with those fishermen to help them provide the necessary evidence so that, if required, their licenses can be amended," Senator Ian Gorst, Jersey's external relations minister, told the BBC.
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On December 30, 2020, British lawmakers approved the post-Brexit trade deal signed between Britain and the European Union (EU).
Last month, the European Parliament also gave its seal of approval to the deal.
The deal, which came after nine months of arduous negotiations between the UK and the EU, is the biggest bilateral trade deal signed by either side, covering trade worth around 668 billion pounds.
