Britain, France agree to more talks to untangle fish battle

British and French negotiators looking to untangle a post-Brexit spat over fishing licenses have met in Paris and expect to talk again next week

PARIS -- British and French negotiators looking to untangle a post-Brexit spat over fishing licenses expect to continue talking into next week after resuming discussions Thursday in Paris.

Although fishing is a tiny industry economically for both Britain and France, the issue of boats' access to waters that divide the two maritime powers has flared into a major irritant.

French President Emmanuel Macron faces reelection in 2022, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a backer of Brexit, has championed British independence from the European Union, so neither wants to look soft by giving in.

Britain and its former EU partners are also still figuring out how to work together in the wake of their divorce, which is also why fishing has mushroomed into an early test of their new relationship.