Brexit has left me high and dry with £1million trawler
Delays mean fresh catch is stuck in UK
A fisherman who spent almost £1million on a new boat has told how he can’t export his catch due to Brexit delays.
Alistair Roberts spent two years having the trawler, named Guide Them, built to add to his River Clyde fleet, which catches scallops and prawns to sell in Europe.
But the 64-year-old says three weeks after the vessel went to sea, export hold-ups caused by postBrexit regulations mean he can’t get his produce out of the UK.
His prices have dropped by 20 per cent since the transition period for leaving the European Union ended on December 31.
Many exports of f ish and shellf ish have been stuck in transit and are rotting by the time they arrive on the continent, rendering the stock worthless.
Now Al istair, who owns Brora Fishing Company, which operates from Greenock, has backed industry calls for a sixmonth grace period to allow f irms to get used to the new requirements.
He said: “We can’t get stock out of the country. Our boat was the first built on the Clyde for 18 years and is insured for £1million, about as much as it cost to build.
“We’ve spent a lot of money to expand and have only been fishing with it for three weeks but that could end tomorrow.
“Normally our stock would come off the boat fresh and be in France within 24 hours. But this week alone our prices have gone down 20 per cent because our processor is now having to freeze the stock because they can’t export it.
“I have a crew of nine men who are all sel f - employed.
Fishermen get paid wages depending on their share of the catch and if we are not fishing, then no one get s any money.
“We need a grace period to allow everyone to get to grips with the new system but the UK Government has flat-out refused.
“It keeps saying it’s a niggle but it’s been going on for weeks and there is no end in sight.”
Delays have been caused by new paperwork including the need for catch certificates and export health certificates.
Alistair, of Port Glasgow, is worried the demand for Scottish seafood in the EU will be lost. He said: “The procedure at the hubs should take 45 minutes but it is taking up to five hours to clear one lorry. Currently, the French, Spanpan ish and Italians ans still want Scotot
tish product ct but if they can’t get it they will go elsewhere.
“It has started already where they are buying from Denmark and Hol land. If we lose the market, we will never get it back. Some fishermen have stopped fishing as there isn’t any point if you can’t sell it.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called the delays “shameful and disgraceful” and accused the UK Government of failing to resolve the issue.
The UK Government has said it gave the Scottish Government £ 200million to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition and is looking at ways to help those af fectedd byy what Prime MMinister Boris JoJohnson called “t emp o r a r y ississues”.
AAlistair added: “IItt ha s been turturned into a politpolitical issue and it’s ttime the two govegovernments stop scoriscoring pol itical pointpoints and put their heads together to fix it.” A UK Government spokesman said: “We recognise the f ishing indus t r y is fa c ing some temporary issues as businesses get used to new processes for exporting following the end of the transition period.
“Our priority is to ensure goods flow smoothly to market and we are working closely with the industry and the authorities in EU countries to understand and address any issues with documentation.
“We are also looking at what additional financial support we can provide to support those businesses affected.”
Scottish Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “It is scandalous how Scotland’s seafood sector has been treated since the end of the EU exit transition period.
“It ’ s imperat ive the UK Government acts now to provide adequate support. I’ve met with the sector multiple times this week to hear their concerns and work out what we can do to alleviate these issues.”