LONDON – Trucks belonging to a British shellfish company took to the British Parliament on Monday to protest Brexithe related bureaucracy they claim is choking their business.
More than a dozen large trucks – one of which reads “Brexit massacre!” – drive past Parliament House in central London and park off Downing Street, home to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Police spoke to the driver, who could face fines for violating coronavirus restrictions by taking non-essential travel.
The British fishing community is among the strongest supporters of leaving the European Union, as it promises Britain an opportunity to leave the bloc’s complex fishing quota system and regain control over who is allowed to fish in British waters.
But now some of the UK fishing industry say they are facing devastation by new barriers to shipping their catch overseas. Last week, a Scottish fishing boss threatened to dump his rotten catch at politicians’ doors if the situation did not improve.
Fishing rights have become a pivotal point in trade negotiations following Britain’s exit from the bloc in January 2020, when European nations have sought to maintain access to the waters in which they have been fishing for decades or even centuries.
Under the new UK-EU post-Brexit trade agreement signed last month, the EU’s share of the catch in UK seas will be cut by 25% over the 5½ year transition period. After that, the new quota must be negotiated.
At the same time, Britain’s exit from the EU means new costs and bureaucracy for exporters – a big problem, as Britain exports most of the fish caught on its ships.
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 deposit it on the block.
“If this disaster doesn’t get better soon, we will see a lot of established businesses coming to an end,” said Alasdair Hughson, chairman of the Scottish Kreel Fishermen’s Federation.
“From the seabed to the plate, this is not an easy business. People put their hearts and souls into making it work, the long hours worked, “he added.
Johnson called the problem a “teething problem” and promised to compensate the company for the harm caused by “bureaucratic delays.”
But he also claimed fish company problems were partly due to restaurant closings during the coronavirus pandemic. And he said, “There is a great opportunity for fishermen across the UK to take advantage of this spectacular marine wealth great Britain. “
Fishing isn’t the only part of the UK economy that’s experiencing a bumpy start to 2021 because of it Brexi.
A trade agreement that goes into effect January 1 allows the UK and EU to trade goods without quotas or tariffs. But it was far from the smooth and hassle-free trade that Britain enjoyed when it was part of the single EU market. Companies face customs declarations, border checks and other obstacles as they ship goods to and from the block. The change has led to a shortage of some items on supermarket shelves as companies reduce the number and quantity of deliveries they make.
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