I asked some time ago whether we have the facilities now to do anything about these supertrawlers which are vacuuming up our marine life.

Thinking about it, I'm sure they'd just laugh at our Border Farce vessels, assuming they're not too busy providing a taxi service for even more illegal immigrants.
Our RN ships, mostly frigates and destroyers would be unable to do anything more than actually firing upon the trawlers which, I believe, are larger than our ships. I suppose our ships could try to ram the supertrawlers, but they'd be too small to make a dent and, unlike the ships we used to have like the Leander class, they are flimsy aluminium (I think).

So what could we do?

Well, we could do what the Iranians did to one of our tankers in the Gulf.
We could use armed SBS marines to board them, abseiling from helicopters. No shots fired, unless attacked by the trawler crew.

They would then take control of the supertanker and force them to sail into our nearest deep harbour. The crew would be arrested, taken off and imprisoned pending payment of an appropriate fine for trespassing in our waters and stealing our fish. The trawler itself would also be held until the owners paid for its return.

I'm sure this would only need to be done once, as the illegal fishermen would know exactly what to expect if they tried it on again.

All perfectly legal as well, so no comeback from the inevitable try-it-on lawyers!

I like it JBR, But have our leaders got the spunk to do it??
I would like to think the present team might??

I'd like to think so.

This would not be a major operation and, after all, if the Iranian tin-pot army could do it, I'm sure our professional forces could.

We would not be breaking any laws. In fact, the trespassing trawlers would be the ones breaking an international law.
I'm sure that no nation other than the EU would condemn us.

Yes l think you have got a really good idea there JBR !!
As you say no laws broken so no lawyers involved!
As a further refinement the helicopters used should be painted
with coastgaurd colours and armed with a50mm cannon, then
any boats intercepted are compelled to obey any instructions
given to them! And all backed by INTERNATIONAL LAW !!
theres that phrase again!

Yes Swimmy, unfortunately, everyone knows that our hands are tied until the end of the year. That is what makes people so angry about those EU factory ships acting illegally.
As for the idea of military boarding boats that poach our fish? a very good idea. Several doses of arrest, confiscation and eye-watering fines will ensure the EU get the message that we will not put up with piracy in our waters.

Hi

Unfortunately they are not acting illegally at the moment.

Times have moved on, we have no need to board them and put our personnel at risk.

Electronic Warfare is here and we have the technology to simply burn out all their electronics rendering them unable to fish.

We have the capability to do that all over the English Channel and the North Sea without affecting legitimate ferries and cargo vessels.

Hi

Unfortunately they are not acting illegally at the moment.

Times have moved on, we have no need to board them and put our personnel at risk.

Electronic Warfare is here and we have the technology to simply burn out all their electronics rendering them unable to fish.

We have the capability to do that all over the English Channel and the North Sea without affecting legitimate ferries and cargo vessels.

Perhaps not in one respect, but as they are fishing in protected areas, which have been agreed to be so internationally, perhaps they are.

As for burning out their electronics without affecting other vessels, that sounds a bit like science fiction.