BRUSSELS, Belgium (CU)_The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, faced criticism from two fronts over the new rules blocking the United Kingdom’s fresh shellfish exports.
UK’s Environment Secretary George Eustice noted that the bloc’s unexpected decision to impose restrictions on live farmed shellfish from London is unjustifiable, while Pierre Karleskind, chairman of European parliament’s committee on fisheries, claimed he had urged the Commission to find a solution for the ban, which many MPs suspect was designed to target UK’s shellfish industry.
Stressing that he was not satisfied with the responses he had received from the EU so far, Karleskind offered to work with Eustice in order to resolve the dispute.
“UK waters did not become dirty on December 31 at midnight… so this really does not add any sense,” Karleskind told BBC’s Today show.
Since the Brexit transition period ended on December 31, mussels, clams, cockles, scallops and oysters from most UK waters can only be exported if they are purified before departure and accompanied by an export health certificate.
However, the UK industry is not set up to work in this way since it was not a requirement when Britain was a member of the bloc. Moreover, UK shellfish exporters say they do not have enough purification tanks and that the process would in any case put the UK at a disadvantage because the restrictions would delay exports and customers prefer fresh fish.
Speaking on Monday afternoon, Eustice noted that it was in the EU’s interest to restore this trade with the United Kingdom, so that businesses from the member states could buy British shellfish.
The environment secretary also admitted that the new rules are a “devastating blow” for the industry, and that the government has been forced to advise British exporters that consignments would likely be rejected at EU ports.
The new restrictions put at risk the export future of UK shellfish catches, valued at £393 million in 2019.
UK’s shadow fishing minister, Stephanie Peacock claims that while the rule faced by British fishermen has been in place for decades, however, if the situation is not resolved, UK’s shellfish industry will not survive.
“A multimillion-pound industry has ground to a halt overnight; jobs and communities are at risk. Unless this situation is resolved, the UK shellfish industry will not survive,” she said.
