The Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey, and HMS Severn had been scheduled to be decommissioned. Now, however, the three River Class patrol vessels, which support the Fishery Protection Squadron, have been given extended lives, potentially until 2027. The rationale for the operating extension is that after the Fishery Protection Squadron may be even more critical after Brexit.
The so-called scallop wars also demonstrated the need for the fisheries patrol vessels. In September a conflict between RFrench and British scallop fishermen erupted. The shellfish battle centered around the Baie de la Seine, a stretch of water off the coast of Normandy where scallops are plentiful. Current regulations state British ships have the legal right to fish there all year round but the French are banned from doing the same between May 15 and October 1 to allow the mollusks to repopulate. The region has been a source of conflict since 2013 when larger British boats agreed to avoid the area in return for larger fishing opportunities.
In mid-September, the British and the French agreed to new terms to end the conflict. UK vessels of less than 15 meters would continue to be able to take scallops from the waters, but larger boats would cease activities in the Baie de Seine from Tuesday until the end of 30 October.
Thanks to Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.
We have a similar problem here in Maine. Maine only catches lobsters during a window of time. Alas the canadians can decimate the lobsters to their hearts content.
Would those be French Canadians or British Canadians 🙂
Severn and Tyne had actually already been decommissioned, the former in October 2017, the latter in May this year. Tyne was brought back into service about two months later, which gives a good insight into the amount of joined-up thinking going on in our government right now!