Britain could cede control over fishing waters around the Channel Islands in an attempt to resolve a key dispute in Brexit negotiations with the European Union, it has been claimed. UK diplomats have floated the possibility of instating different fishing rights around the Channel Islands to the rest of the UK, allowing more access for French vessels, two sources told Reuters. The claims have been dismissed by Government sources, one of which told The Telegraph: “There is no departure from our fundamental position that we will have control of our waters around there [the Channel Islands].” A spokesman said: ““We want a simple, separate fisheries framework agreement which reflects our rights under international law and which provides for annual negotiations over access and sharing opportunities based on the scientific principle of zonal attachment.” European Union negotiators say French coastal fishing communities would be affected if Britain regains control of the area around Jersey, which is just 14 miles from the French coast. Fishing rights are currently shared between the UK and other countries in the EU under the Common Fisheries Policy. The dispute over fishing rights after Brexit is one of the remaining issues preventing the UK and EU signing a deal, which must be finalised before the end of the transition period in January. The UK is pushing for annual renegotiation of fishing rights and “zonal attachment”, which uses scientific data to estimate the size and location of fish stocks. The EU began the negotiations calling for Britain to continue to effectively adhere to the Common Fisheries Policy after Brexit, which would make it impossible to increase UK fishermens’ quota. Some compromise between the two positions could also involve a “phasing-out mechanism” that increases the UK share of fishing rights over time, rather than overnight on January 1. There has been some progress on technical aspects of the talks on fisheries, including on quota sharing and a list of stocks, but London says the EU has not accepted that Britain will become an independent coastal state.