Seafood lorries descend on Downing Street as criticism intensifies
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The SNP today repeated its demand that the Tory government delivers on its promise of compensation for fishing communities, as shellfish and seafood lorries descended on Downing Street to highlight the devastating impact the Tories’ Brexit deal is having on the industry.
The lorries carried messages criticising the "incompetent" UK government for "destroying" the shellfish industry.
Earlier, Jamie McMillan, managing director of Loch Fyne Langoustines, warned that: “We have no sales to the EU, our biggest market for live shellfish, in the last two weeks.
"If we go another week without that, we are finished.”
Inverurie's Allan Miller owner of AM Shellfish several of whose vehicles were involved in the protests said: "The fishermen rely on us 52 weeks of the year to shift their product, if we are not there fishermen don't go out.
"That is why we are all down here today, the amount of vehicles and companies are trying to make a change because if things don't change then most of us could be out of business and if we're out of business where do the fishermen put their stock?."
And Donna Fordyce, chief executive of Seafood Scotland, said: “Some businesses, which may have been run by families for generations, are now days away from collapse as a result of the agreement.”
When challenged with these damning testimonies by BBC’s Andrew Marr, the Tory government’s Foreign Secretary simply dismissed it as “teething problems” and described Boris Johnson’s deal as a “a great deal” for the industry.
Commenting, the SNP’s Shadow DEFRA spokesperson Deidre Brock MP said:“The SNP and industry leaders have been calling for action on these issues for weeks now and the situation is now beyond urgent.
"The Prime Minister's promise of compensation last Wednesday melted before the end of the week and the lorries still can't find a speedy path through customs.
"Businesses are losing more than £1m in overseas sales a day and customers will be looking elsewhere for their produce.
"Communities across Scotland will be destroyed if action isn't taken soon to sort this.
"People's jobs are at stake, long-established businesses could collapse, and the communities where fishing and seafood industries are important employers might just not be viable any longer.
“And today, shellfish and seafood firms have descended on Downing Street in desperation to highlight the sheer scale of damage caused to the industry.
"In stark contrast to Boris Johnson’s Brexit lies on the side of a bus – struggling seafood firms have delivered the hard truth on the side of their lorries.
“Scotland's fishing industry is paying far too high a price for Tory hubris, lies and broken promises.
“The Prime Minister must deliver on his own promise of less than a week ago and deliver a major compensation package for these industries while his government gets back to the negotiating table with the EU and sorts out the mess.
"We need a grace period and we need a new customs deal - he should swallow his pride and be prepared to roll back his bombast for the sake of saving jobs, businesses and the communities dependent on them.
“It's clear that the only way to properly protect our interests and industries is to become an independent country and part of the EU - with a seat at the top table championing all our fishing interests."
