Bay of Biscay
French crab fishermen hurled a barrage of rocks, shells, and tools at a Scottish scalloping boat this week in an assault that lasted five hours. Eight French crab boats surrounded the Scottish scalloper as it was fishing at dawn in international waters. The French shouted insults, which the Scottish crew could not understand, and then started pelting the boat with whatever they could grab. The Scots fled below deck until two French naval boats arrived to restore order. The crabbers later claimed that a “gentlemen’s agreement” gave them sole rights to fish those waters. But Tom Nicholson, owner of the Scottish vessel, had never heard of such a pact. “The French were seriously aggressive,” he told the London Daily Telegraph, “and their behavior was ludicrous.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Local elections 2026: where are they and who is expected to win?The Explainer Labour is braced for heavy losses and U-turn on postponing some council elections hasn’t helped the party’s prospects
-
6 of the world’s most accessible destinationsThe Week Recommends Experience all of Berlin, Singapore and Sydney
-
How the FCC’s ‘equal time’ rule worksIn the Spotlight The law is at the heart of the Colbert-CBS conflict
