Two Royal Navy vessels are patrolling waters around Jersey as around 80 French boats protest at the island’s main port over post-Brexit fishing rights.
The fishermen at St Helier port say their rights are unfairly restricted by licences issued by the island under a system launched last week.
The French Republic has threatened to cut off electricity to the island.
No 10 said it sent the two Navy vessels, which arrived Thursday morning, to “monitor the situation”.
HMS Severn and HMS Tamar are routinely used for fisheries protection – with sailors able to board other boats for spot checks.
The French boats are at the entrance to the island’s main port of St Helier, but they pulled away earlier to allow a freight vessel to leave.
HMS Severn can be seen from the port, sitting off about a mile from the French boats and is maintaining a presence and not making any effort to intervene at this time.
MEP Stephanie Yon-Courtin, a member of the EU fisheries committee, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme they were “taken by surprise” by new fishing rules, adding: “We are counting on the good faith from Jersey and the UK government to help and deescalate the tension.”
Of the threats to cut off electricity to Jersey, she said “these are only words we are not ready for war”, but she added “all retaliatory measures will be explored”.
On Wednesday night, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged his “unwavering support” for Jersey, the largest Channel Island and a Crown dependency, located 14 miles (22km) off France.
He added that “any blockade” by French boats would be “completely unjustified”.
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