UK shellfish back on the menu in Europe

Britain's fishermen have had a tough time since Brexit. Sharing UK waters with EU boats has been a contentious issue, long before the British decided to leave the EU, and thanks to Sir Keir Starmer's recent deal, which allows European trawlers to continue fishing in British waters for another 12 years, many fishermen feel they've been betrayed.

But it's not all bad news. The shellfish sector has been cautiously celebrating after finding out what Britain's recent reset with the EU means for them: easier trade links to the EU, less paperwork and less red tape.

John Holmyard runs the UK's first large-scale mussel farm, off the coast of South Devon.  He says the industry had all but given up exporting to the EU since Brexit.

"When our shellfish arrives in Europe, it has to be cleared at the border," he says. "It can hold the load up for so long, the lorry drivers' working day is over and they are not allowed to continue driving until they've had a rest. Our shellfish are a live product, and they're sitting at border control losing value, losing weight – and some of it will be dying."

In addition, supermarkets don't take kindly when deliveries are late and the products are no longer fresh.

The Shellfish Association of Great Britain has been active in representing the industry's views, lobbying lawmakers, making their voices heard, pleading for a change in direction.  

David Jarrod, from SAGB, welcomes the government's decision to allow a return to almost frictionless trade with the EU.

"Shellfish exporters in the UK are going to see a much smoother ride for the export of both wild capture and aquaculture shellfish, with a significant reduction in paperwork and potential border delays," he told CGTN.

Good news for Holmyard's wife Nicki who runs Offshore Shellfish with him. "So many people have gone out of business," she said.  "We have just managed to keep in there by the skin of our teeth."

It's certainly a cause for celebration. After years of frustration, they can now begin planning for the future, rekindling those trading relationships with EU partners. 

Finally they can grow their business again. They've even got their eyes on buying another fishing boat, several million dollars' worth of investment.

But they're cautious about cracking open the champagne to wash down their shellfish. Their colleagues in other parts of the fishing industry haven't been so lucky.  

The new deal between the UK and the EU, thrashed out over recent months and announced to a fanfare of congratulations in May, certainly makes trade easier for shellfish farmers. But with EU and UK boats still jostling for position on British waters, the fishing industry as a whole faces an uncertain future.