THE SNP have urged the Tories to "eat some humble pie" and offer support to the fishing industry which has suffered from the effects of Brexit chaos.
Exports of fresh fish and seafood have been severely disrupted by delays since the UK’s transition period ended on December 31.
The new checks and paperwork has been causing massive delays for the industry since the UK left the European Union, with seafood producers growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of Government action.
Lorries transporting freshly-caught produce have been held up at distribution hubs and many have struggled to enter into France.
READ MORE: Dominic Raab claims Brexit chaos for fishing firms is 'just teething problems'
Boris Johnson’s £23 million compensation fund for those who “have faced difficulties exporting where there is a genuine willing buyer” has already been dismissed by the SNP, with shadow environment, food and rural affairs spokesperson Deidre Brock stating it was “a compensation minnow when the industry needed a whale”.
SNP MP Stuart C McDonald, who represents Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, warned of an entire fishing industry being “destroyed” if ministers do not fix technology at customs clearance.
Speaking in the Commons via video link, he said: “Scotland’s high quality seafood producers are warning that they’re going out of business. They can’t have their products sitting in lorry parks in Kent waiting for customs clearance, those products have to reach market fresh.
“So what is the Government doing to change the procedures and fix the technology to ensure an entire industry isn’t destroyed, and will there be ongoing compensation offered to business until this is sorted, or was that a one-off?”
George Eustice, the Tory Environment Secretary, responded: “We have announced a £23 million fund to help those exporters who struggled with the paperwork in these initial weeks. We’ve also been working daily with the fishing sector to tackle and iron out any particular issues that they’ve encountered.
“Twice a week we hold long stakeholder calls with all of those businesses concerned. I’ve had personal conversations with organisations like DFDS who lead on distribution and we’ve given them all of the support we can to help them iron out these teething issues they’ve been having.”
Analysis from the Scottish Government found that the UK Government's Brexit deal will result in a fall in the quantity of key fishing stocks landed, such as cod, haddock, whiting and saithe.
The deal means that the Scottish fishing industry will have access to fewer fishing opportunities than under the existing Common Fisheries Policy arrangements – even at the end of the five and a half year adjustment period.
SNP MP Neil Gray, who represents Airdrie and Shotts, urged Tory ministers to support the fishing industry. He told the Commons: “This Government has followed up its sell-out of Scotland’s fishing communities with this £23 million insult. The industry is losing more than four times that every day, they’re losing customers with it.
“This was the one industry we were told would benefit from Brexit. So why won’t the Government act now, act quickly, eat some humble pie and re-establish barrier-free rapid access to the European market for this industry so it can finally supply to their customers again?”
Eustice responded: “With the support that we’ve given industry to iron out some of the issues they’ve been having, the flow of goods is now continuing. DFDS, in particular, have been very successful at transporting salmon to the European Union.”
Scotland's fishing sector is furious with Tory ministers, who they feel have forced them to accept the “worst of both worlds” according to a letter from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.
The group wrote to the Prime Minister warning of “huge disappointment and a great deal of anger about your failure to deliver on promises made repeatedly to this industry”.
On Monday fleet of lorries from across the West Coast and beyond has headed to England to protest outside Downing Street over fears they may be driven out of business.
READ MORE: Shellfish lorries park outside Downing Street in protest against Brexit chaos
One lorry, with the slogan "Brexit Carnage", was parked just metres from Downing Street.
Special delivery for London from the shellfish industry of England Scotland and Wales. #BrexitShambles @BorisJohnson @VictoriaPrentis @YourFishingNews @ThroughTheGaps @BBCNews @STVNews @pressjournal @ScotGovFM @FergusEwingMSP @PeterAdamSmith pic.twitter.com/TEizNnnNz5
— SCFF (@CreelScff) January 18, 2021
Humza Yousaf said the image should "haunt" the Scottish Tories, adding: "Forget the Brexit lies Boris slapped on to side of a bus - here is the Brexit truth on the side of lorries from seafood and fisheries industry.
"These images should haunt the Scot Tories, your betrayal will not be forgotten."
READ MORE: Seafood protest images ‘should haunt the Scottish Tories’
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