A PRIVY Council decision on the legality of the introduction of Guernsey’s fishing licensing regime is ‘too close to call’, it was claimed yesterday. Its Judicial Committee is not expected to rule on the long-running dispute for six to eight weeks.

The Jersey Fishermen’s Association and several English fishing companies have taken their fight to the CI’s final court of appeal after a Royal Court decision on the licensing scheme was overturned by Guernsey’s Court of Appeal.

Just minutes after the conclusion of the two-day hearing in Westminster, Jersey Fishermen’s Association chairman Mike Taylor said: ‘There have been a lot of very detailed arguments concerning the constitutional arrangements between the Channel Islands and the UK and legal aspects about the relationship between the islands and the EU.’

‘The arguments swung from one way to the other.

‘If we lose, we have given it our best shot and we will have no option but to accept the licensing arrangement, but if we win, we will have to sit down with Guernsey and probably the UK and hammer out a new arrangement.’

Currently, Jersey and UK commercial fishermen are barred from the island’s three- to 12-mile limit without a licence.

‘The whole reason for pursuing this case is the Jersey Fishermen’s Association feels very strongly that we have historic rights to fish in the waters adjacent to Guernsey.’

He likened the situation to that of the French, who were able to show historic rights in the limit via the London Convention in 1964.

‘In a similar way, the Spanish have certain rights to fish in the Bay of Biscay and, closer to home, we see the Dutch, Danish and Belgians have historic rights to fish in the six- to 12-mile zone along the south coast of the UK.’