The Prime Minister raised the matter of post-Brexit fishing licences with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the EU, on Saturday. In their meeting, Mr Johnson said France’s threats “are completely unjustified”, and added they do not appear to be “compatible” with international law.
BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg quoted Downing Street as saying the Prime Minister “raised his concerns about the rhetoric from the French govt in recent days over the issue of fishing licences” to Ms von der Leyen.
Speaking to the broadcaster’s political editor, Mr Johnson also acknowledged “there's some turbulence in the relationship” with France.
He said: “If one of our partners decides to breach the Trade and Cooperation Agreement that we struck, that's a matter that we have to pursue.”
In a statement, a Downing Street spokesman added: "The Prime Minister stressed that the French threats are completely unjustified and do not appear to be compatible with the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement or wider international law."
Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen’s talk comes after it emerged French Prime Minister Jean Castex privately requested that the EU steps up its opposition to British actions in the ongoing fishing row.
In the letter, Mr Castex states that the "non-cooperative attitude of the United Kingdom" risks harming not just the French fishermen, but also the EU.
He said that the UK's attitude would "set a precedent for the future".
Mr Castex added that it calls into question "our credibility and our capacity to defend our rights when it comes to international agreements signed by the Union”.
It comes after France detained a British trawler off of Normandy and fined another, sparking a diplomatic row between the UK and Paris.
Mr Johnson said on Friday, while travelling to Rome, he would attempt to soothe relations between the UK and France after the fishing row.
The Prime Minister said he would remind the French President the “ties that unite us, that bind us together, are far stronger than the turbulence that currently exists in the relationship”.
He added: “What I will also say is that there may be people on either side of the Channel that they think they have an interest in promoting disharmony between the UK and France and creating the impression of disharmony.
“I don't think Emmanuel shares that perspective.”
Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the Financial Times the UK’s stance on post-Brexit fishing rights and on Northern Ireland could ruin its reputation after leaving the EU.
He said: “Make no mistake, it is not just for the Europeans but all of their partners.
"Because when you spend years negotiating a treaty and then a few months later you do the opposite of what was decided on the aspects that suit you the least, it is not a big sign of your credibility."
The President added he had “never created pointless controversy” with post-Brexit disputes.
Lord David Frost has also laid into France for threats to punish the UK.
The Brexit Secretary wrote on Twitter: "That is why we are concerned and surprised by the comments seemingly made by @JeanCASTEX to @vonderLeyen that: 'It is indispensable to show European public opinion that … it causes more damage to leave the EU than to stay in'.
"I hope this opinion is not held more widely across the EU.
"To see it expressed in this way is clearly very troubling and very problematic in the current context when we are trying to solve many highly sensitive issues, including on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
"This is all the more so as the threats made by France this week to our fishing industry, to energy supplies, and to future cooperation, eg through the Horizon research programme, unfortunately form part of a pattern that has persisted for much of this year.
"As I set out yesterday to @MarosSefcovic, these threats, if implemented on 2 November, would put the EU in breach of its obligations under our trade agreement. So we are actively considering launching dispute settlement proceedings as set out in Article 738 of the TCA.”