Reality seems to be dawning – last week it was the fishing industry complaining about the increase in forms they’d have to use to export to Europe

New Economics Foundation (NEF Blog): Deal or No Deal?  

Are the scales now tipping back in favour of the status quo for UK fishing?

Chris Williams 19th November 2020.

As anyone who has been reading the NEF blog over the past few years will recognise, fisheries – while only making up a tiny part of the UK economy – has developed totemic status in the UK’s Brexit narrative and remains one of the major obstacles to a UK-EU deal.

In the run-up to the Brexit referendum, it was impossible to avoid hearing about fisheries and Brexit and the oft-repeated soundbite of ​“taking back control” of our waters. This fits a portrayal of the UK as an island nation with a proud maritime heritage, so fishing has become the posterchild for a new chapter outside the EU. Brexit was sold to the public and fishing industry as a ​“sea of opportunity” by politicians and industry bodies alike. It wasn’t convenient for Brexit advocates to focus on the downsides of leaving the single market and customs union in any cost-benefit analysis.

Since the dim and distant days of the referendum, our research has shown a sea of risks for the majority of fishing fleet in the UK, with Brexit likely to create more losers than winners when it comes to fishing. The House of Lords European Union Committee was extremely clear in December 2016, that if the UK fishing industry as a whole is to thrive post-Brexit, it will need to continue to have access to EU markets. The majority of UK-caught fish and shellfish ends up in the EU. The total volume of the UK’s fish exports to the EU, including fish and shellfish, amounted to 342,000 metric tons in 2018 – so the impacts of tariffs and non-tariff barriers are extremely significant.

But due to the influence of money in politics and the media, the media coverage was skewed by powerful fishing lobbyists (as our analysis showed), who were quoted time and again, without any attention being paid to those who stood to lose out.

For this reason, we went to fishing ports around the UK to try to provide a voice for those who were most at risk, marginalised in the discussion, the politics and the media. We made a video in 2018 and took their voices straight to Westminster for a cross-party event … Click here to read more

Video: The essential elements of Brexit & Fisheries – 26 mins video with Barrie Deas, Bryce Stewart & Pim Visser EAPO picking up on the Fishing industry letter from last week

Fish Export Service trial period

Fish and seafood exporters will be able to try out the Fish Export Service over the next four weeks.

MMO (19th Nov 2020)

The service will open for a trial and test phase to allow businesses to sign in, familiarise themselves with the system and create sample documents before it goes fully live on 29 December 2020.

Exporter businesses and fishers who land catch in the EU will be contacted directly inviting them to join the trial and, importantly, provide their feedback. They will be able to test and try the service up to 14 December.

The MMO has expanded its team of specialist advisors and opened a dedicated helpline to provide support and advice. The helpline – 0330 159 1989 – will be open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm from 19 November. It will be open 24/7 when the service goes live.

Businesses can now register or log on for the trial period now. There is more information and guidance on this link.

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