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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think we should deploy the entire fleet to deter those pesky French fishing boats?

160 replies

chomalungma · 12/12/2020 12:45

Just 4 gunboats?

Don't they know how big the channel is and the whole fishing area?
Not enough.
Our territorial waters need defending.
Deploy the fleet.

to think we should deploy the entire fleet to deter those pesky French fishing boats?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Havanananana · 12/12/2020 15:24

Your whole thread is one long piss take of the RN being deployed to protect men at sea, in our own waters

The Navy isn't 'being deployed to protect [British] men at sea in our own waters.'

Rear Admiral Parry and Lord West are proposing that the Navy actively targets and boards French (and other) boats if they dare to enter UK waters - endangering both the fishermen on the boats and the sailors on the Navy vessels.

ragged · 12/12/2020 15:24

All EU has to do to make the situation truly difficult is deny British boats (is there actually such a thing, btw, aren't they all foreign owned??) to land their catch at EU ports.

The benefit of shared waters was being able to land the catch anywhere in the region. Take that privileage away, and British fishing is very screwed financially, because British people don't want to eat most the seafood caught in British waters. EU doesn't need to send in French boats, they can sit back & wait for British fisher-people to beg to allow French boats in.

Oh... and meanwhile, some of fish that British people do want to eat are easiest to catch in EU or Norwegian waters. Funny how that works out!

Splodgetastic · 12/12/2020 15:25

Ah, I was wrong. Greece’s situations very complicated by the looks of things due to proximity of Turkey so they can’t apply the archipelagic regime. www.researchgate.net/figure/Greeces-territorial-sea-and-potential-Exclusive-Economic-Zone-EEZ-Continental-Shelf_fig5_317902851

Splodgetastic · 12/12/2020 15:26

@Havanananana What you are talking about is a maritime interdiction. We are completely within our rights to do this under international law. Effectively we would treat the fishermen as pirates.

Nottherealslimshady · 12/12/2020 15:26

If we could please not start a war with the whole EU, that would be great, thanks 👍

Kumquatsquash · 12/12/2020 15:28

@ChocolateCherrybomb

Or some Katy Hopkins clones floating around randomly in little rubber dinghies.
Christ, they should use those to deter immigrants. I think they'd turn back and take their chances with France.

I've nothing against immigrants by the way, I'd happily swap Katy Hopkins for all the immigrants in the entire world.

Havanananana · 12/12/2020 15:29

All EU has to do to make the situation truly difficult is deny British boats (is there actually such a thing, btw, aren't they all foreign owned??) to land their catch at EU ports.

It's more precarious than that - and requires no action or decision from any European government or the EU.

As soon as the first EU boat is impounded, every Continental port, from Dieppe to Esbjerg, will be blockaded by EU fishing vessels, preventing all cross-Channel freight traffic. The Channel Tunnel will face delays as every single pallet of goods is checked by French Customs, assuming that the French even keep it open. Every British lorry will be delayed for days. Every British boat in a EU harbour will be boarded and inspected in minute detail.

British supermarket shelves would empty in a matter of hours. Stocks of medicines and medical equipment would be depleted within days. Stocks of materials and components would run out in a week or two, forcing factories to close and putting their employees out of work. If Nissan, Airbus and BMW (and thousands of other less prominent businesses) had any doubts about relocating, these doubts will have disappeared in days and the factories will have all shut by Easter.

Johnson can only get away with blaming the EU for so long. If the people ever wake up to the fact that they have been well and truly conned, he'll be in big trouble - although the most likely outcome is that he'll resign long before the real trouble breaks out, claiming that he's battled through the after-effects of Covid and is now retiring to an unnamed friend's sunny island to relax and recuperate having 'Got Brexit Done.'

chomalungma · 12/12/2020 15:31

You are. Your whole thread is one long piss take of the RN being deployed to protect men at sea, in our own waters

It's the Admirals and the MPs who are talking about boarding French ships, using the Marines and the papers talking about the armaments available.

Willy waving at its finest.

OP posts:
chomalungma · 12/12/2020 15:33

Willy waving? I'd like to see you go out from Hull on a trawler and catch the means to make your family a cheap fish finger sandwich, or how about you onboard a Royal Navy vessel, saving the lives of men, women and children adrift in the channel, one of the most dangerous shipping lanes in the world

You are so so missing the point

to think we should deploy the entire fleet to deter those pesky French fishing boats?
to think we should deploy the entire fleet to deter those pesky French fishing boats?
OP posts:
Havanananana · 12/12/2020 15:38

@Splodgetastic - you both missed my point, and you're wrong about maritime interdiction.

My point was that the Navy is not being used to protect British fishermen - no British fishermen are being threatened with attack from the French or anyone else. It is the UK that is threatening the European boats and their crews.

Maritime interdiction operations are 'naval operations, that aim to delay, disrupt, or destroy enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area before they do any harm against friendly forces.'

Again - there is no enemy 'en route to battle' except the one that Johnson is trying to fabricate so that he can continue his stupid Churchill schtick and give the Brexiters a scapegoat against which to vent their spleens.

MinesAPintOfTea · 12/12/2020 15:39

[quote Splodgetastic]@Havanananana What you are talking about is a maritime interdiction. We are completely within our rights to do this under international law. Effectively we would treat the fishermen as pirates.[/quote]
Before we have even agreed on a deal starting to talk about attacking fishing boats in the channel doesn’t make British fishermen safer. I’d prefer we waited to see how necessary they are with the expectation that people won’t start ramming each other in 3 weeks time and see if the uk/French courts can handle it non-violently.

Involving the armed forces and discussing needing marines shouldn’t be the first resort

GetOffYourHighHorse · 12/12/2020 15:40

'If we could please not start a war with the whole EU, that would be great, thanks'

You need to join the op in her bunker. Bet she has a years worth of chickpeas to be going on with.

Here's some good news for the Apocalypse Now wibblers. A quote if you cba to read the article -
'PROJECT FEAR predictions of a mass Brexit exodus from the City of London have been dismantled with a majority of top banks increasing staff numbers since the EU referendum in 2016, a study has found'

www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1371678/brexit-latest-news-project-fear-city-london-financial-services-sector-jobs-exodus

Flaxmeadow · 12/12/2020 15:42

Havanananana It's more precarious than that - and...

Scaremongering utter nonsense

GeorgeMichaelsEspadrille · 12/12/2020 15:44

Erm, this is nothing new. The RN have been patrolling our waters and intervening where necessary for a very long time. It's a big part of what they do (quietly and professionally).

You don't need to respond to Daily Mail headlines quite so dramatically.

PortiasPlumUpduffedPudding · 12/12/2020 15:45

An excellent post Havana
Spot on!

GetOffYourHighHorse · 12/12/2020 15:52

'Erm, this is nothing new. The RN have been patrolling our waters and intervening where necessary for a very long time. It's a big part of what they do (quietly and professionally)'

Exactly. Stop watching Sky News op, take some deep breaths, sniff some essential oils and go to your happy place for a breather.

Splodgetastic · 12/12/2020 15:57

@Havanananana Maritime interdictions aren’t just used in war. They are used in combating drug smuggling, terrorism, piracy, slavery and illegal fishing.

Eleganz · 12/12/2020 15:58

The way remainers here are sneering at UK fishermen, and our fishing industry, reminds me of the way Thatcher used to sneer at coal miners, another dangerous, often low paid, occupation and industry that provided affordable and vital goods to everyday people

Whatever sneering you are perceiving, it is nothing like how Maggie treated the miners. Simply no comparison at all.

OchonAgusOchonO · 12/12/2020 15:59

@Havanananana

All EU has to do to make the situation truly difficult is deny British boats (is there actually such a thing, btw, aren't they all foreign owned??) to land their catch at EU ports.

It's more precarious than that - and requires no action or decision from any European government or the EU.

As soon as the first EU boat is impounded, every Continental port, from Dieppe to Esbjerg, will be blockaded by EU fishing vessels, preventing all cross-Channel freight traffic. The Channel Tunnel will face delays as every single pallet of goods is checked by French Customs, assuming that the French even keep it open. Every British lorry will be delayed for days. Every British boat in a EU harbour will be boarded and inspected in minute detail.

British supermarket shelves would empty in a matter of hours. Stocks of medicines and medical equipment would be depleted within days. Stocks of materials and components would run out in a week or two, forcing factories to close and putting their employees out of work. If Nissan, Airbus and BMW (and thousands of other less prominent businesses) had any doubts about relocating, these doubts will have disappeared in days and the factories will have all shut by Easter.

Johnson can only get away with blaming the EU for so long. If the people ever wake up to the fact that they have been well and truly conned, he'll be in big trouble - although the most likely outcome is that he'll resign long before the real trouble breaks out, claiming that he's battled through the after-effects of Covid and is now retiring to an unnamed friend's sunny island to relax and recuperate having 'Got Brexit Done.'

As soon as the first EU boat is impounded, every Continental port, from Dieppe to Esbjerg, will be blockaded by EU fishing vessels, preventing all cross-Channel freight traffic.

I really hope not as that screws Ireland too. Hopefully they'll let boats bound for Ireland through.

Eleganz · 12/12/2020 16:02

Let' remember the last time we ended up in a dispute with a nation over fishing that involved significant intervention by the RN. Then let us remember how that turned out. The RN are not going to be sinking or shooting fishing boats, they won't be any more effective at enforcing British interests than they were during the Cod Wars.

Viviennemary · 12/12/2020 16:03

Hornblower and Styles would know how to deal with them.

EnPoinsettia · 12/12/2020 16:05

The gunboats need bunting!

Sink the Bismarck!
Bust the Dams!

Dah dah dah dah dada dah da

Flaxmeadow · 12/12/2020 16:06

My point was that the Navy is not being used to protect British fishermen - no British fishermen are being threatened with attack from the French or anyone else. It is the UK that is threatening the European boats and their crews

What are the French fishermen doing in waters they have no legal right to be in, barging and attacking with missiles legal British fishing boats

If the French have a problem with restrictions on where they can fish, they should go take it up with their unelected masters, the EU. Good luck with that!
And I'm not being sarcastic wishing them good luck either

Splodgetastic · 12/12/2020 16:13

Lots of fifth columnists on here today!

Flaxmeadow · 12/12/2020 16:18

Sink the Bismarck

France was occupied when the Bismarck was torpedoed. Might I remind you that the Bismarck was the flag ship of Nazi Germany.

Bit low to dredge all that up now in connection with our brave allies of WW2 . The French, who fought so bravely in two world wars, by our side.

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