Western Morning News

Fish export crisis threat to Cornish economy

- PHILIP BOWERN philip.bowern@reachplc.com

COUNCILLOR­S in Cornwall yesterday called on the Government to urgently provide additional support to the fishing industry as the crisis over exports to the European Union deepens.

Defra Secretary George Eustice described barriers imposed by the European Commission on exports of live shellfish as “indefensib­le.” He said urgent talks with the EU were aimed at re-starting the trade.

But councillor­s in Cornwall warned that the near-£50 million a year fishing industry in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly was being put in jeopardy.

Tim Dwelly, Cornwall Council cabinet member for economy, said the Government’s Brexit trade deal had left fishing with “limited gains but mounting red tape and costs.”

He warned that shellfish producers faced the real possibilit­y of collapse unless urgent action was taken and he said, while Defra money was being used to offset the costs to fishermen of obtaining export hygiene certificat­es, it was not sustainabl­e.

“That’s why I’m calling on the Government to step in now and provide additional support,” he said. “The fishing industry plays a vital role in our economy in Cornwall and immediate action is needed to secure its longterm future.”

Mr Eustice, the MP for Camborne and Redruth, who has fish producers among his constituen­ts, told the BBC yesterday that the UK is hoping it can resolve the issue with the EU and “get them to abide by their own regulation­s.” South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray told him to tell the EU that Britain “would not surrender”.

BRUSSELS’ decision to place barriers on live UK shellfish exports is “indefensib­le”, the Environmen­t Secretary has said.

George Eustice insisted there is “no legal barrier” to prevent the trade, and has called on the European Commission to abide by existing regulation­s.

The introducti­on of new checks and paperwork since the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31 has caused disruption to exports of fresh fish and seafood to the European Union.

In heated exchanges on the issue in the House of Commons on Monday, Conservati­ve South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray said: “I know [Mr Eustice] has tried his best, but the time has now come to show the EU that we will not surrender to their games over these shellfish exports.”

Producers have expressed frustratio­n at the lack of Government action, while last month seafood hauliers protested against the Brexit fishing deal by stacking lorries in central London.

Mr Eustice, the MP for Camborne and Redruth, said the Commission changed its position last week, and that prior to that “they had been clear that this was a trade that could continue”. He said in an interview with LBC that the action, which puts a “ban on the trade altogether” was “quite unexpected and really indefensib­le”.

“Whereas previously they had been clear that this is trade that could continue, and all they needed to do was design the right export health certificat­e,” he added.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We wrote to the Commission­er yesterday, we have been in dialogue with them. The truth is there is no legal barrier to this trade continuing, both on animal health grounds and on public health grounds – there is legal provision within existing EU regulation­s to allow such trade to continue from the UK. We are just asking the EU to abide by their existing regulation­s and not to seek to change them. They did change their position just last week – prior to that they had been clear that this was a trade that could continue – so we want to work to understand why they are proposing a change at this stage.”

Mr Eustice added that the UK is hoping it can resolve the issue with the EU and “get them to abide by their own regulation­s”.

French MEP Pierre Kar les kind, who chairs the European Parliament’s committee on fisheries, told the Today programme that Brexit was to blame for the issues, but said they do not make sense. He said: “I have no problem with the fact that we have to find this solution, unfortunat­ely so far the answer that I received from Mrs [Stella] Kyriakides, the [European] Commission­er for health, was no. So I am not satisfied so far with this question, and the fact is that the UK waters did not become dirty on December 31 at midnight, so this really doesn’t make any sense – except that we have to find a way to be sure in the long term we will have the insurance that what we import from the UK does satisfy the high standards of quality and of sanitary quality for our consumer.”

 ?? Jeff Overs/BBC ?? > George Eustice MP
Jeff Overs/BBC > George Eustice MP
 ?? > Sheryll Murray MP ??
> Sheryll Murray MP

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