Proudly clutching the Union flag, the crew of the British scallop dredger Van Dijck stand firm in the face of the sabre-rattling French.
Militant French fishermen have threatened to mobilise a 250-strong armada against British boats legally fishing for scallops off the Normandy coast.
They have already attacked the Van Dijck and other British boats with rocks, iron bars and flares in what the crew have called The French Revolution’.
But skipper Gary Smith, 47, says his crew refuse to be intimidated by their Gallic foes.
Speaking from the wheel cabin of his 100ft boat he said: These boys are hardened seafarers and there is nothing more they would like than a punch-up with the French.
But I told them we must not retaliate whatever they might throw at us. That’s just what the French want. They are trying to goad us into fighting back and making us like the bad guys in this. We are not.
We have been fishing for scallops here for years and there is plenty to go round for all of us, they just want it all for themselves.
We have painted a Union Jack on the side of the boat to show we will not be intimidated.’
As the Van Dijck rocks from side to side in the rough waters of the English Channel it is difficult to see what stirs up such emotion. But when the huge mechanical arms at each side of the dredger haul up 14 steel scoops packed with scallops the bounty is there to see.
‘These boys are hardened seafarers and there is nothing more they would like than a punch-up with the French’
Gary Smith, 47, Van Dijck skipper
This is what the French fishermen are willing to ram rivals boats for, and even throw ropes into their propellers. A self-imposed summer ban means the French don’t fish for scallops until October 1. When they returned to the waters they were angry to see how much the British boats had harvested.
Armed with rocks and iron bars they left the beaches of the D-Day landings determined to confront the British boats. Van Dijck crew member Liem Roger, 24, said: They came armed with basketfuls of rocks. The skipper told us not to hit back. He said that is exactly what they want but in the end we had to go into the wheelhouse with the skipper because it was the only place that was safe.’
Steve Joyce, 25, said: The job is hard enough as it is. We are all exhausted trying to make a living but we are determined to stand firm.’
Associated Newspapers Ltd