Boris Johnson told 'up your game' and 'listen to shop floor' in fishing row


Brexit: Fisherman discusses plan to ‘look further afield’

June Mummery, founder of Renaissance of the East Anglian Fisheries (REAF) lashed out at the Prime Minister after some skippers said exporting to the European Union was no longer viable. Industry figures said hopes that disruption to businesses would be temporary were fading as it became clear that increased export costs were likely to remain.

Pease up your game. Help the industry move forward, listen to the shop floor

June Mummery

In a message to the Prime Minister, Ms Mummery said: “Pease up your game. Help the industry move forward, listen to the shop floor.

“There are measures you can put in place, you know what they are, do it.”

Her comments came after it emerged British fishermen were being forced to look elsewhere for business because of the increasing cost of exporting their catch to the continent.

Extra costs and severe border delays have left many in the fishing community struggling to keep their businesses afloat.

Fishing row

UK fishermen fear their businesses are becoming unviable (Image: PA)

Brixham fisherman Ian Perkes said post-Brexit trade rules had pushed many in the sector to turn their backs on Europe and seek alternative customers in the UK and abroad.

Mr Perkes told CGTN Europe: “Our business has taken a downward spiral, we’re having an absolute nightmare shipping fish throughout Europe due to the delays through the customs.

“Basically, we had customers for these before Brexit and we’d probably make 50p to 80p a kilo and we had a customer that would probably take three to four hundred kilos per day.

“But then again if we had no other orders, the extra cost we’ve encountered now would not make it viable for us to send 300 kilos because it’s going to cost us another £300 per day to ship.”

READ MORE Brexit LIVE: UK nears breakthrough in hated Northern Ireland deal

Fishing row

Fishing chiefs are demanding action from the Government (Image: PA)

The fisherman said he hoped the disruption to the industry would be temporary but noted the increased export costs are likely to remain.

He continued: “We hope the delays will be temporary.

“At present, what is not temporary is the cost and the extra admin.

“Our intention is to look further afield, away from Europe. Be it in the UK, be it wherever.

“We’ll all adapt accordingly whether I’m still here to be adapting is another thing.”

Fishing row

Increased export costs and lengthy border delays have hit the UK fishing industry (Image: PA)

Mr Perkes also said he would back remaining in the EU were he to be given the option to vote again.

He said: “Disappointed, very very disappointed – love to have my time again and vote to stay in.”

Industry chiefs have been urging the Government to review the deal in place with the EU but chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation Barrie Deas insisted fishermen had secured three immediate benefits from Brexit.

Mr Deas said that while the UK did not receive as much quota return as they wanted initially, they would still benefit from the 25 percent from the EU.

He said: “The two to maybe three positives, we did get a bit of extra quota, nothing like our due as an independent, coastal state, but we do get some and that’s been allocated now to the devolved administrations.

“Then the two real positives is we are an independent party in international fisheries agreements and we will probably only see that the consequences of that over time.

“But I think that is very significant. And then the other one is this regulatory autonomy that if we don’t agree with the EU, we can go ahead and manage our own waters in the way that we see fit as long as the measures are non-discriminatory.”

DON’T MISS
Starmer ‘doomed to defeat’ – damning assessment of Labour crisis[SPOTLIGHT]
Thank God for Brexit! Brits praise EU exit for jab roll-out[POLL]
Merkel under pressure: Germany’s main opposition party demands EU exit[FOCUS]

Fishing row

UK fishermen say they have been forced to look to new markets (Image: PA)

Under the Brexit trade deal agreed in December, UK fishermen will receive a 25 percent quota return over the next five years.

EU boats will continue to have access to British waters but after the five year period, new negotiations will begin to thrash out the terms for access and quota shares on an annual basis.

Each side can also terminate the deal, although this will affect elements of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.



Leave a Reply