Four British naval vessels equipped with cannons and machine guns are ready to guard the waters around the United Kingdom against European Union fishermen if no agreement is reached.
Fisheries is one of the biggest stumbling blocks in the negotiation of a trade agreement. There is still a transitional period until the end of the year in which British and European fishermen share a zone.
London wants to regulate access to the rich waters itself in the future, while the EU insists on an agreement. The European Commission recently proposed to retain the current rules for the time being if discussions fail.