A British fishing boat has been accused of carrying out a life-threatening attack on a French ship in the latest escalation of the scallop wars.
Officials across the Channel claimed the vessel had cut one of the trawlers cables in a deliberate attack in the early hours of January 15 between Brighton and Dieppe.
There are fears the allegation marks a re-ignition in the conflict between both sides amid a history of each continually accusing the other of trespassing and breaking fishing regulations.
Henk Senior and Rose de Cascia were the two vessels involved by the English and French respectively as they traipsed through English waters.
The "attack" allegedly took place an hour after the two ships had passed each other as an Englishman reportedly threw a grappling hook which caught on the cable linking the French boat to its net.
They then tugged on the cable which brought the trawler astern and it subsequently broke, causing the French vessel to lose its net.
Etienne Dachicourt, the co-owner of the French trawler, told Ici Nord: There have always been intimidating maneuvers. Weve been warning since Brexit that there would be problems of cohabitation in the English Channel. But you dont put peoples lives at risk.
The fisherman went on to consider what might have happened if the trawler had flipped over, adding the crew would be lost and six people would die.
There are fears the allegation marks a re-ignition in the conflict between both sides amid a history of each continually accusing the other of trespassing and breaking fishing regulations (file image)
Other French officials like Xavier Bertrand, head of the Hauts-de-France region, dubbed the events an exceptionally serious incident
Other French officials like Xavier Bertrand, head of the Hauts-de-France region, dubbed the events an exceptionally serious incident.
The La Voix du Nord reports the Rose de Cascia is currently back fishing in UK waters while Henk Senior is in the Dutch port of Vlissingen.
This is not the first alleged attack of recent months as in arch last year, Mr Bertrand condemned UK fishing bans in 13 marine protected areas off the French coast.
New restrictions came in to effect on December 16 as part of fisheries management plans after Britain became an independent coastal state following Brexit.
Other scuffles had occurred in 2014 and 2010 over the fact British scallopers were allowed to fish all-year-round but the French were not permitted to do so between May 15 and October 1.
A brief blockade of Jersey was carried out by French fishing boats in 2021 to protest their loss of fishing licences in the wake of Brexit.