What UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson described as ‘temporary frustrations’ in exporting fresh seafood to buyers in the European Union have boiled over as a convoy of chiller trucks converged on central London, trailers emblazoned with messages spelling out their anger at the government’s handling of Britain’s departure from the EU.
The weight of additional documentation, requirements for veterinary checks on exports and delays at ports has hit the sector hard, with reports of shipments not taking place, agents on the European side struggling to cope and live shellfish in tanks reaching its destination more than a day later that under the previous export regime.
Freshness of products reaching European buyers is a challenge, as longer transits can push fish past its peak, affecting prices, while mortality of live exports is seen as a major problem in the longer term.
At the weekend, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab described the delays and barriers that the British seafood sector is facing as ‘teething problems.’
The views of the PM and foreign secretary clearly aren’t shared by shellfish exporters around the UK, particularly in Scotland, who sent their trucks south to spell out their frustration at the new export regime that has been in place since the end of the transition period on 31st December, as the UK struggles to get to grips with its new status as a third country in terms its trading relationship with the European Union.
Threats to dump unsold fish and shellfish on the steps of key government buildings in London have not been carried out, so far.
