The vessel was seized on Thursday night in the English Channel and is being detained at the port of Boulogne, facing possible confiscation, according to Metro.

A British fishing boat named after Margaret Thatcher, the Lady T, is currently held by French authorities after being accused of operating without a licence in French waters.

The vessel was seized on Thursday night in the English Channel and is being detained at the port of Boulogne, facing possible confiscation, according to Metro.

The French navy ship Pluvier intercepted the Lady T, and its skipper may be prosecuted for whelk fishing without the required licence.

This incident follows criticism of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s recent EU fishing rights agreement, which opponents claim disproportionately benefits France.

According to France’s Maritime Prefecture, the British boat was caught fishing within the French Exclusive Economic Zone near Somme Bay.

A spokesman explained that the operation was conducted as part of the State’s maritime enforcement efforts.

He said, “During this operation, which was part of the State’s maritime enforcement, a British fishing vessel was inspected by sailors from the Navy patrol vessel while fishing without a license in French waters.”

Once the violation was confirmed, the vessel was redirected to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer overnight on May 23rd.

The spokesman added that “the fishing vessel was diverted during the night of May 23rd to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, following the instructions of the Delegate for the Sea and Coastline, acting on behalf of the Regional Prefect, who oversees the fisheries police, for the purpose of initiating prosecution under the authority of the Public Prosecutor.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp pointed to the large numbers of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats as an example of what he described as France's double standards. He argued that while French authorities took no action at sea and sometimes directed illegal immigrants into UK waters, they swiftly intervened when a British fishing vessel entered French waters.

As part of a new agreement, European trawlers will continue to have access to British waters for another 12 years.

An earlier deal, negotiated during Boris Johnson's tenure as prime minister, allowed the UK to reclaim 25 percent of EU fishing quotas, though this arrangement was set to expire next year. With the latest agreement, the EU will retain unrestricted access to UK coastal waters until 2038.