French fishermen have vowed to retaliate against the UK by blocking French ports and stopping British ferries in French waters. The shock threat comes amid increasing furore over the Brexit fishing talks. Speaking to Al Jazeera, French fishermen in Normandy threatened to stop British fishermen from getting their fish into the European shops.

They warned "no British boats or fish will reach French soil" unless a deal is agreed.

French fisherman Jerome Vicquelin admitted that his colleagues are "scared" of a no deal scenario.

He told Al Jazeera: "We are scared because British waters represent 40 to 60 percent of our revenue, so for us it would be catastrophic. It is unimaginable."

Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler, reporting from Normandy, said: "If the UK and EU fail to reach a deal by the end of the year, French fishermen could be barred from fishing off the UK coast."

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She added: "Being denied access to British waters would be particularly devastating to the fishermen from the Normandy coast because so many of the boats are family-owned small businesses.

"Many of the fishermen vow not to give up their livelihoods without a fight."

Vicquelin explained the French punishment threat: "The British export some 70 percent of their fish to the EU.

"If we get to December 31st and they throw us out of their waters, then we will block our ports and stop the ferries. No British boats or fish will reach French soil."

However, Dimitri Rogoff, head of the Normandy Fishing Committee, said while the UK reliance on the EU as an export market is a valuable bargaining chip in the Brexit talks, it is not "a winning hand".

He said: "The EU market needs fish, it imports it. France imports 80 percent of the seafood it consumes so we need UK fish.

"So, although we can pressure the British and threaten tariffs and border controls, its not a long-term solution."

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Earlier this week, an Irish industry group warned that a no deal Brexit could result in the loss of up to 5,000 jobs in the fisheries sector

The Killybegs Fishermen's Association said many of the jobs would be lost in coastal communities, which are highly dependent on the sector.

Irish industry experts fear "chaos at sea," since EU vessels may move into waters off the Irish coast following Brexit.

France is also concerned about losing access to British waters, as the new French European affairs minister Clement Beaune vowed to be "intransigent" on the issue.

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Brexit fisheries fury: French fishermen vow to ruin UK fishing industry in punishment plot - Express