French authorities have released the British scallop trawler Cornelis, owned by Scotland-based Macduff Shellfish, the company confirmed in a brief statement on its website.

"We are pleased to have this matter resolved and delighted that our crew and vessel are now able to return home," the statement said.

The vessel was detained by French authorities last week amid warnings that unless a post-Brexit battle over fishing rights is resolved, UK boats would be prevented from landing their catches in French ports beginning next week.

French fishermen are angry over the number of licenses issued that allow them to fish in UK waters, most recently off the island of Jersey, which, although self-governing, is a British crown dependency.

French authorities pulled back from their threat to block the entry of British seafood products to allow talks between Britain’s Brexit Minister David Frost and France’s European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune on Thursday.

The government of Jersey on Monday issued 49 temporary fishing licenses to French fishing boats in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

Although released without having to pay a bond, the captain of the Macduff vessel is still due to face charges next year of operating in French waters without the correct paperwork, although the BBC reports the legal action could be dropped before then as France and the UK seek to soothe tensions.