BRITAIN issued additional fishing licenses to EU vessels Saturday in an attempt to resolve a dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights for French fishermen. Britain issued 18 licenses for EU replacement vessels in U.K. territorial waters and five licenses for EU vessels to access Jersey waters, Britain and the European Commission said. Technical consultations about seven additional licenses are expected to conclude today, the statements from London and Brussels said. “We have licensed vessels where sufficient evidence has been provided that demonstrates that a vessel qualifies for access ... Where that evidence has not been provided, licenses have not been issued,” the British Government said. France said it took note of the new British licenses and that 1,034 or 93 percent of French license requests had now been secured. Europe Minister Clement Beaune and Seas Minister Annick Girardin said in a joint statement France and the EU were looking into all possible legal avenues to secure the remaining licenses and produce evidence that Britain had agreed to review. Britain and the EU agreed to set up a licensing system to grant fishing vessels access to each other’s waters when Britain left the bloc. But France says it has not been given the full number it is due, while Britain says only those lacking the correct documentation have not been granted. Fishing represents a tiny share of both the French and British economies.(SD-Agencies) | 