GUERNSEY and Jersey appear to remain deadlocked in the ongoing fishing dispute. Both sides insist the other will need to change its position before any formal agreement can be reached.

Commerce and Employment minister Stuart Falla rejected claims that a meeting between his department and Jersey’s equivalent was a last-ditch effort to find a solution to the long-running row over fishing licences.

It was suggested in Jersey that if ministerial talks failed, it was highly likely that the two islands would face each other before the Privy Council, early next year.

‘We had a meeting that was sadly delayed from some weeks ago because of an aircraft failure. Today was another meeting – fishing was discussed, but it has been discussed before and will be discussed again,’ said Deputy Falla yesterday.

‘These things take time and careful negotiation and that is what we are doing. We are happy to continue talking, but Jersey would need to move its position before Guernsey fishermen were to feel that they have a reasonable outcome.’

The dispute is over Guernsey’s decision to ban Jersey fishermen from its territorial waters. The Jersey Fishermen’s Association overturned it in Guernsey’s Royal Court, but last year Guernsey appealed and won the right to reinstate the ban.

Since then it has been claimed that the bitter dispute has undermined attempts to get the two islands’ governments to work together in other areas.

Philip Ozouf, Jersey’s Economic Development minister, said ahead of the meeting that he was hopeful that a solution could be reached.

JFA president Mike Taylor was pessimistic about the chances of a breakthrough.

‘We have bent over backwards to try to find a reasonable agreement but it seems like every time we are nearly there, Guernsey moves the goalposts. We have historic ancient rights and they should be reinstated,’ he said.

The dispute stems from Guernsey’s belief that it was disadvantaged when Jersey signed the Bay of Granville agreement, allowing its fishermen into French territorial waters. Guernsey is not a signatory and is therefore denied access to some areas.

Mr Taylor said the British and French were happy to find an agreement with Guernsey, but the island would not negotiate.

‘It’s crazy, absolutely crazy. We should all be working together to conserve stocks in the area. The Guernsey fishermen were perfectly content to let us negotiate the Bay of Granville agreement, but it became political for some reason and it’s the ‘Guernsey’ politicians who have caused the problem,’ he said.

Deputy Falla said he did not agree with all of Mr Taylor’s statements.