France demands £125,000 ‘ransom’ to release British fishing trawler impounded in Le Havre port
- Scottish-registered the Cornelis Gert Jan is accused of not having a valid licence
- Its unnamed skipper has been charged with ‘acts of unauthorised sea fishing’
- Owners the Macduff Shellfish Company have been ordered to pay the amount
French courts have demanded a £125,000 ‘ransom’ for the release of the British fishing trawler impounded in the Le Havre port, it emerged last night.
Scottish-registered the Cornelis Gert Jan is accused of not having a valid licence to fish in French waters.
Its unnamed skipper has been charged with ‘acts of unauthorised sea fishing in French maritime salt waters’ and ordered to appear in court next August.
The Cornelis Gert Jan’s skipper (pictured) has been charged with ‘acts of unauthorised sea fishing in French maritime salt waters’
French courts have demanded a £125,000 ‘ransom’ for the release of the British fishing trawler impounded in the Le Havre port, it emerged last night
Scottish-registered the Cornelis Gert Jan is accused of not having a valid licence to fish in French waters
He faces £63,000 in fines but sources said an eye-watering bail of £125,000 has been set to ensure he returns to face trial.
Owners the Macduff Shellfish Company have been ordered to pay the amount before a judge will release the impounded boat.
The firm insists the vessel had the correct licence and is being used as ‘another pawn’ in the row between France and the UK.
Tomorrow is a bank holiday in France, meaning the eight-member crew cannot leave France until Tuesday at the earliest.
One of them told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We’ve been told we are not leaving this weekend. We just want to get out of here.’ The beleaguered skipper, who refused to give his name, added: ‘Hopefully, sooner rather than later.’
This weekend, it emerged that another unidentified British fishing vessel was given a warning days before the Cornelius was impounded.
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