Fishermans' fury at Brexit hold ups

Threat to dump rotting shellfish at Downing Street

Author: Rob WallerPublished 14th Jan 2021

Scottish fishermen are threatening to dump their rotten seafood in Westminster in a display of frustration at the delays export of fresh produce to the EU since Brexit at the turn of the year.

Lorries are being held up by checks and problems with paperwork on both sides of the Channel.

The Prime Minister's promising compensation - but industry leaders say while that's welcome, it doesn't solve the problem.

Jamie McMillan from Loch Fyne Langoustines posted an angry video on Twitter warning peoples' livelihoods are at stake: "I'm dismayed. I'm angry. My blood is boiling. There are fishing boats tied up, we can't get our product to the EU market because of red tape. It's an absolute disgrace what we've had to go through."

"Prime Minister, and Michael Gove, I can assure you if Scottish exporters cannot get their product to market next week we will be at the gates of Westminster and we will be dumping our shellfish your doorstep, rotten!"

"I'm absolutely sickened by this carry on. We are fighting for survival here, the same as every other exporter in Scotland.

"Get it sorted! And get it sorted now!

Compensation

Chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, Jimmy Buchan, is welcoming a promise from the Prime Minister that producers affected by post-brexit delays will be compensated.

"That doesn't resolve the situation it will certainly help take the sting out of the significant losses that some of my members have endured", he said.

The Association says companies have lost up to a quarter of a million pounds with exports being held up.

"It's not so much the loses - they're continuing to lose market opportunities now.

"Any cash injection which is quick, and immediate, will help business. But what we've still got to do is sit down and work our way through the problems that we are enduring."

PM backs minister who didn't read deal

Downing Street has said Boris Johnson maintains confidence in the fisheries minister after she admitted not reading the post-Brexit trade deal with Brussels when it was agreed because she was busy organising a Nativity trail.

Victoria Prentis faced calls for her to quit after the comments, but the Prime Minister is standing by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister.

Asked if her jaw had dropped when she saw the deal with the EU on Christmas Eve, Ms Prentis told the Lords EU Environment Sub-Committee: "No, the agreement came when we were all very busy on Christmas Eve, in my case organising the local Nativity trail.

"We had been waiting and waiting, it looked like it was coming for probably four days before it actually arrived.

"I, for one, had gone through, as I'm sure members of this committee had, a gamut of emotions over those four days."

A Number 10 spokesperson told the PA news agency that the Prime Minister had confidence in Ms Prentis.

But the SNP took a dim view of her behaviour and insisted that Ms Prentis should stand down.

The SNP's Brexit spokesperson Philippa Whitford, said "For the Tory Government's fisheries minister to admit that she did not even bother to read the details of the damaging deal because she was too busy is unbelievable and makes her position untenable.''

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