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Hauliers sailing into war over fish by Karen Miles •

25th February 1993
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Page 4, 25th February 1993 — Hauliers sailing into war over fish by Karen Miles •
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Hauliers are bracing themselves for a fresh wave of French violence following attacks by French fishermen on British trucks.

A mob of 400 rioting fishermen forced a Brittany Ferries freighter carrying 20 reefers full of fish to divert from Roscoff to Cherbourg. Armoric Freight International of Plymouth had six of its trucks trapped on the ferry, four of them carrying fish.

"It's the lamb situation all over again," says managing director Paul Payne. "Until the French Government can sort the problem out I don't see the real end to it— but in the meantime it's our business. We have to carry on. What else can we do?"

The company became aware of heightened tension among fishermen last week and was forced to warn its customers that it can no longer be liable for any wilful damage to their loads. Armoric carries the risk for its vehicles. "Some customers have accepted it, others haven't. As a result of lost business it's our subcontractors who are losing out, says Payne.

The ferry incident is the second action the company has suffered within a week. The fishermen had previously seized an 18-tonne load of fish and contaminated it with diesel.

The Roscoff rioters delayed the docking of the Quiberone by 12 hours and forced Brittany Fenies to suspend the service until it believes it is "prudent to sail again". The fishermen claimed the ferry was carrying Danish trucks laden with 300 tonnes of Nerwegian and Russian fish.

Now the safety of Armoric and the thousands of other UK operators carrying produce to France depends on negotiations between the fishermen, farmers and the French Government and the EC.

Unless the EC guarantees that non-EC fish imports will be blocked, the French fishermen have threatened further action against ferries and trucks suspected of carrying non-EC fish imports. The action is set to escalate to other ports: the Roscoff fishermen may be joined by others at Boulogne and Cherbourg.

This Saturday (27 February) the EC Council of Ministers is to discuss action on cheap fish imports.

French farmers are also back on the warpath. They are threatening to attack British trucks cartying lamb unless their government drops the Common Agriculture Policy reforms.

As tension rises the British Government has warned hauliers to monitor the situation, saying each operator will have to make a "commercial decision" when weighing up the risks.

Fisheries minister David Curry has called on the French police to protect British trucks.


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