Scottish salmon producers warn of ‘enormous’ Brexit burden

Salmon farmers face “enormous pointless burdens” and a lack of market share beneath UK authorities plans for Brexit.

The chief government of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) mentioned corporations had been being instructed to arrange for commerce obstacles with the EU.

The trade can also be warning that added pink tape may see £9m on prices and delays to the departure of contemporary fish.

The UK authorities mentioned it could inform producers later this 12 months on the measures they wanted to take.

SSPO chief government Julie Hesketh-Laird mentioned deliberate modifications would require salmon farmers to have an export well being certificates for each consignment, signed by a vet or well being official.

She warned that would imply as much as 100,000 certificates a 12 months, with the associated fee estimated at as much as £9m yearly, relying on the charges set by councils.

Producers mentioned that such a course of would delay the departure of contemporary fish, along with anticipated delays at Channel ports.

Ms Hesketh-Laird mentioned producers had been additionally involved that the long-term relationship with Europe may see a 2% tariff on contemporary fish rising to 13% for smoked salmon.

Looming battle

That may put Scottish salmon exports at a drawback, creating a possibility for Irish, Norwegian, Faroese and Canadian exporters to achieve market share.

Corporations are additionally involved that salmon exports may turn into entangled within the looming battle over entry to fish shares in UK waters after the tip of this 12 months.

Salmon farming performs no half within the Frequent Fisheries Coverage, however exports could possibly be penalised by the EU if its boats don’t retain a big share of the catch quotas in UK waters.

It comes as salmon exporters into China, the place clients purchase premium massive fish, are already seeing a downturn in commerce as a result of coronavirus.

The newest figures, for 2018, present practically 39,000 tonnes of Scottish salmon was bought to different EU nations.

International export worth topped £500m, with half of that gross sales to the European Union.

Within the first half of final 12 months, exports rose by 25% on the beginning of 2018. That made Scottish salmon the most important of Britain’s meals exports. The total 12 months figures for 2019 are anticipated quickly.

Salmon doesn’t at the moment require certification inside the single market, as a result of fish welfare, meals security and hygiene guidelines are standardised throughout Europe. That is still the case till the tip of this 12 months, whereas the UK is in transition.

Buyer prices

Ms Hesketh-Laird mentioned future certification would place “enormous pointless monetary and bureaucratic burdens on our sector, probably undermining what is likely one of the UK’s greatest fashionable export success tales”.

She mentioned: “Scottish salmon is a improbable product, however we compete with different jurisdictions from Faroes to Norway to Eire.

“Any additional value will finally be borne by the patron, so maintaining the forms and administrative prices to a minimal is actually necessary.

“Nevertheless it’s non tariff obstacles that may actually strangle a sector – so (alongside) with delays on the border, extra paperwork, the truth that fish will not exit in as contemporary a state as we would like it to, these certification points will massively snarl up a profitable Scottish enterprise.”

The SSPO is looking for UK-EU negotiations to retain alignment on seafood exports, making transit with out the well being certificates a key situation in talks and to hurry up digital certificates, to make them swifter and less complicated.

Responding to the SSPO warning, a spokesman on the Cupboard Workplace in Whitehall mentioned: “We’ll inform trade later this 12 months about actions they should take to make sure they’ll proceed buying and selling after the transition interval has ended.”