Boris Johnson ‘sacrificed the fishing industry,’ says June Mummery
Despite record landing sets, many are struggling to survive as the price of fish has plummeted by a third. They say that companies in France, Spain and Italy are refusing to pay the maximum because the Brexit bureaucracy means that the fish is not so fresh.
This has prompted one fisherman to reveal that the value of his catch fell from an expected £ 26,000 to just £ 16,000 last week.
Fisherman Luke Selvey recently returned to Brixham Harbor in Devon aboard the beam trawler Emilia Jayne.
Mr Selvey said: “We have cuttlefish, Dover sole, brill, turbot, monkfish… all kinds.
“The fishing is the best we have seen in years.
Brexit LIVE: Ireland in panic will cut its own fishing fleet due to Brexit
Boris Johnson is under pressure to defend the British fisherman (Image: Express)
Johnson says he wants to rectify any delays (Image:.)
“The problem we have is that the price of fish is terrible. He’s making things very, very difficult for us. We have to work much harder to try to make money.
Speaking to The Guardian, he added: “It means that we will go out in all conditions for maybe half the salary we made last year.
“But we have families to take care of, mortgages to pay, boats to pay.
“It shouldn’t be there in the southern gales, but my family needs to be fed, fed and clothed.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson urged a ban on EU drinking water in the UK
The EU has banned member states from important raw seafood (Image:.)
“The fleet as a whole has caught more fish this year, but the money is probably down a third. It is depressing.”
Almost three-quarters of the fish landed in the historic Devon port is exported to continental Europe.
This was uninterrupted for years until EU bureaucrats caused shipments to be delayed or rejected.
Emilia Jayne’s owner Mike Sharp said: “This boat made £ 16,000 last week. For the amount of fish he had caught, it should have been £ 25,000 or £ 26,000. ”
The main catch at this time of year is cuttlefish, the vast majority of which end up in continental Europe.
DO NOT MISS:
Rishi Sunak Urged To Support Seafood Sector As EU Continues Export Ban [ANALYSIS]
Welfare: Sunak Pressured to Announce Self-Enrollment Insurance Fund [INSIGHT]
Britons furious after Joe Biden stopped post-Brexit trade deal [REACTION]
The dispute has meant that not many shellfish have been exported to continental Europe (Image:.)
Typically it would cost around £ 4.50 per kg, but this year the price has been as low as £ 1.80.
Dover sole is down from around £ 15 to £ 7 and plaice from £ 3 to £ 1.10.
Still, Mr. Sharp believes his business is down a third from where it was this time last year.
He said, “Everybody is rowing trying to make money.”
“This is the time of year when you make money. It is always a little thinner in April and May when the fish reproduce.
Many British fishermen are suffering despite landing record catches (Image:.)
“Now is when we need to earn money to survive. Exporting is a nightmare. The Government has called it initial problems, but it is not that.
“It is disheartening to work the same hours or more, catching the same fish and getting a third of the return.”
Fish trader Ian Perkes has described the attempt to export to the EU as “horrendous”.
It revealed that its sales for January 2020 were £ 375,000. This January they fell to £ 74,000.
He said: “I have built this business for 44 years. But now we wonder how long we can go on before we disconnect.
Mr. Perkes listed examples of rejected or delayed shipments.
British fishermen have landed record catches (Image: Express)
You heard that a trucker had to re-label thousands of boxes of frozen fish because they were marked UK instead of Great Britain.
A government spokesperson said: “We recognize the problems faced by companies involved in the export of highly perishable fresh and live seafood and, as such, we are working closely with the fishing industry and the authorities of the member states of the EU to ensure that products can continue to flow smoothly. to the market.
“We recently announced that the £ 23 million Fisheries Support Fund is being expanded to support a wider range of businesses. We will offer funds to help fishermen cover their fixed costs as companies adapt to the new agreements. “
The government said it was holding weekly meetings with industry groups and working with Dutch, French and Irish officials to resolve problems with documentation.
–
