Since the UKs new relationship with the European Union took effect on January 1st it seems that there have been continuous issues for the Scottish fishing and shellfish industries. The government has now announced that a new taskforce will meet for the first time next week and will be headed up by the UK Minister for Scotland David Diguid MP.
As the Leaders Council has reported previously, the supply chain for shellfish has been hit hard by the new regulations posed by the Brexit deal and the new trading relationship with the EU.
In the immediate aftermath of the changes when freight was being stopped at queues in Kent Paul Knight, Director of PDK Shellfish, said ‘We need quicker systems, and we need things to be simplified. This will ease the burden on our staff and ensure less of our product is lost. We should be able to email Environmental Health Certificates directly to customs without the lorries having to wait for the original document to arrive, which takes at least a full day. Originals could be sent via next day delivery, and there should also be a trust list.’
The announcement of the new taskforce, that will meet every fortnight, to asses the challenges to the industry will be welcomed. David Diguid MP said ‘’I am clear about the need for action. I want the taskforce to track the export process to identify issues stopping or delaying export, and areas of complexity that are not yet well understood.
‘’We want to seek a common understanding on the export process and address concerns by developing solutions to be taken forward by the UK Government, Scottish Government and EU. And we want to ensure there is effective communication with the industry to ensure traders are aware of issues and of solutions.’’
The UK government have also unveiled a £23million scheme to support fishermen and shellfish exporters who have faced delays and limited demand by restaurants due to Covid-19.
