LONDON (AP) – Trucks from UK shellfish firms came to the UK parliament on Monday to protest the Brexit-related bureaucracy they believe is choking their businesses.
More than a dozen large trucks – one with the words “Brexit massacre!” – drove past the Houses of Parliament in central London and parked in front of Downing St., home of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Police spoke to the drivers, who could be fined for violating coronavirus restrictions by taking non-essential rides.
British fishing communities were among the strongest proponents of leaving the European Union, as it promised the chance that the UK would leave the bloc’s complex system of fishing quotas and regain control over who is allowed to fish in British waters.
But now some in the UK fishing industry say they are facing downfall over new barriers to shipping their catch abroad. Last week, a Scottish fisherman’s boss threatened to dump his rotting catch on the doorstep of politicians if the situation didn’t improve.
Fishing rights became a major bottleneck in the trade talks that followed the UK’s political departure from the bloc in January 2020, as European countries tried to maintain access to waters where they have been fishing for decades or even centuries.
Under a new post-Brexit UK-EU trade agreement signed last month, the EU’s share of catch in the UK seas will be reduced by 25% over a transition period of 5½ years. After that, new quotas will have to be negotiated.
At the same time, Britain’s exit from the EU means new costs and red tape for exporters – a major problem, as Britain exports most of the fish its boats catch.
Some fishing companies say the new restrictions have made it impossible to ship their catch to Europe. Some British fishermen have started landing their catch in EU member Denmark to keep it in the block.
“If this debacle doesn’t improve quickly, we’ll look at many established companies getting to the end of the line,” said Alasdair Hughson, president of the Scottish Creel Fisherman’s Federation.
“From the bottom of the sea to the plate, this is no easy task. People put their hearts and souls into making it work, with ridiculously long hours, ”he added.
Johnson called the problems “teething troubles” and promised to compensate companies for losses resulting from “bureaucratic delays.”
But he also claimed that the problems facing fishing businesses were partly due to the closure of restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. And he said, “There are great opportunities for fishermen across the UK to take advantage of the UK’s spectacular maritime wealth.”
Fishing isn’t the only part of the UK economy to get off to a bumpy start in 2021 due to Brexit.
Thanks to the trade agreement that came into effect on January 1, Great Britain and the EU can trade goods without quotas or tariffs. But that’s a far cry from the seamless, hassle-free trade that the UK enjoyed when it was part of the EU’s internal market. Businesses face customs declarations, border controls and other barriers when shipping goods to and from the block. The change has led to shortages of some goods on supermarket shelves as companies reduce the number and number of shipments they do.
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