Committee hears about Jersey's 'grumpy' stance after being sidelined in fishing talks
The Crown Dependencies' relationship with Westminster was the subject of a recent committee hearing
Excluding the Channel Islands' parliaments from discussions surrounding post-Brexit fishing negotiations between the UK and EU was "not handled well", according to the government minister responsible for the Crown Dependencies.
Mike Freer MP appeared before the House of Commons' Justice Committee to answer questions about the islands' working relationship with the UK government.
A statement from Jersey's government presented during the meeting revealed the extent of the dissatisfaction from local politicians towards Westminster after a late addition to the Fisheries Bill in 2020.
The 'Permissive Extent Clause' was included, legally giving the UK the right to make decisions for the Crown Dependencies on fishing matters, even without the islands' parliaments agreeing.
During the committee hearing on Wednesday 15 November, Mr Freer was told that Jersey was "grumpy" about the way things were handled.
Local officials called the clause "unjustifiable, paternalistic, and disrespecting of the island's wishes", saying it indicated a "lack of trust" from the UK government towards the Crown Dependencies.
The minister said while he understands Jersey's point of view, the British government stands by the clause - saying it was "justified" in order to protect the UK's interests.
Mr Freer said: "I wouldn't want to dwell on how that [clause] was implemented, but I think the bottom line is that moving forward, our relationship on fisheries and the relationship between the Crown Dependencies and DEFRA [the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] is now in a good place.
"I accept that at the time, it was not well handled. Jersey [officials] were grumpy about it - they didn't feel it was justified. We had a different point of view."
He went on to say the decision has allowed the UK to negotiate better fishing quotas on behalf of the Crown Dependencies, and that the difficulties Jersey and French fishermen experienced in the aftermath of Brexit have now been resolved.
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