NICOLA Sturgeon has said many people predicted post-Brexit spats such as the fishing dispute with France and urged the UK and French governments to “get around the table and sort this out”.
The First Minister was speaking as French President Emanuel Macron’s deadline loomed for more licences to be issued to allow French vessels to fish in UK waters, and after French authorities detained a Scottish scallop trawler in Le Havre as fresh tensions heightened over fishing rights.
“I don’t want a dispute that, frankly, is damaging to Scottish fishing industries or to British fishing industries either, but I don't want Boris Johnson to use these kind of spats to play to a domestic gallery,” Sturgeon told Sky News.
READ MORE: France detains Scottish trawler amid ongoing post-Brexit fishing row
“And I think it's important that the focus is on de-escalation here, so both sides – the British government, the French government – get around the table and sort this out.
“Unfortunately, many of us predicted that these kind of spats would happen in the wake of Brexit, but they’re in nobody’s interest, so get them sorted out. For goodness sake, don't let them overshadow the important work that's being done here.
“I think sometimes the Prime Minister plays up Brexit and what flows from Brexit – I would say all of these consequences are deeply damaging.
“Across the UK right now we've got shortages of foodstuffs in some of our supermarkets – that’s extraordinary, so don't do that.
“Try and with a calm head, cool head, get it sorted because there's too many really important things for everybody to be focusing on.”
Macron set a Tuesday deadline for more licences, with a warning that France could ban British vessels from French ports.
The European Commission called a meeting involving officials from the UK, France, Jersey and Guernsey.
READ MORE: Emmanuel Macron suggests UK's Brexit credibility is lacking amid fishing row
A spokesperson said: “A meeting, convened by the commission, is taking place this afternoon bringing together senior officials from the commission, France, the UK, as well as from Jersey and Guernsey, to allow for a swift solution on the outstanding issues.”
French authorities said the detained vessel – Cornelis Gert Jan – had no licence, which was disputed by its owner Macduff Shellfish.
Downing Street said “robust” measures were in place should French authorities carry out their threats, and a No 10 spokesperson told reporters: “As you would expect, we have robust contingency plans in place. I’m not going to get into the detail of them here.
“It is the French that made these threats and we are continuing to call for them to step back from those threats.”
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