The United Kingdom's government announced Wednesday it has deployed two Royal Navy patrol vessels to the island of Jersey "as a precautionary measure," as tensions over fishing rights escalate with French officials.

Why it matters: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement the government took the action amid threats of "a blockade" of French fishing boats at the island.

• French officials on Tuesday threatened "retaliation measures" including cutting off electricity to the self-governing dependency of the British crown over the dispute — driven by what French officials say is a breach of the Brexit deal by the U.K. on fishing licenses.

Of note: Jersey, an island off the coast of northwest France, gets 95% of its electricity from France via underwater cables.

For the record: The issue of fishing territory was a major sticking point during Brexit negotiations.