January 12, 2021 โ By ending a 27-year-old union, Brexit was sure to come with some growing pains. But with less than two weeks under their belt, some in the Scottish fishing industry are wondering if what theyโre feeling is more akin to death throes.
As Reuters reported on Friday, the additional red tape caused by the United Kingdomโs exit from the EU has led to major issues for the Scottish fishing industry which has relied on seamless next-day transport of fresh seafood to customers on the European mainland. Since Brexit became official on January 1, shipping Scottish langoustines, scallops, oysters, lobsters, and mussels to places like France, Belgium, and Spain has suddenly been slower and more expensiveโand some businesses wonder if their models will remain sustainable.
Due to new paperwork like health certificates and customs declarations, one-day deliveries were reportedly taking three days or more. And DFDS Scotlandโa major logistics company for the industryโadmitted to a mix of IT and paperwork issues. โThese businesses are not transporting toilet rolls or widgets. They are exporting the highest quality, perishable seafood which has a finite window to get to markets in peak condition,โ Donna Fordyce, chief executive of Seafood Scotland, told the BBC over the weekend. โIf the window closes, these consignments go to landfill.โ
And speaking of paperwork, one Scottish exporter told Reuters that paperwork alone could cost him over $800 a day. โIโm questioning whether to carry on,โ he explained. โIf our fish is too expensive our customers will buy elsewhere.โ