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Prioritise perishable produce

Fisheries & Food Secretary demands urgent action from UK Government to help seafood sector as Calais crisis continues.

Fisheries & Food Secretary Richard Lochhead has expressed his frustration at the lack of progress over the current situation in Calais, following urgent talks with processors and transporters earlier on yesterday.

He will write seeking urgent talks with the UK Government again to press for an urgent action plan to prioritise lorries carrying perishable goods such as seafood.

The Cabinet Secretary and Scottish Government officials, including Transport Scotland, held a teleconference with key representatives from the seafood, fishing and transport sectors to identify alternative routes to market following the impacts of continuing disruption at Calais faced by Scottish seafood producers.

During the meeting, Mr Lochhead assured those involved that he would be requesting an urgent update on progress from the UK Government.

He said yesterday:

“Like the sector itself, I am increasingly frustrated at the UK Government’s apparent lack of progress in responding to the threat to Scotland's seafood sector due to the situation at Calais.

"The UK is focussing its efforts on stopping people getting into the UK but they are not responding to the fact that Scotland's exports are not getting into Europe.

“Seafood exports are worth five times as much in Scotland as the UK as a whole – which means Scottish seafood producers are being disproportionately affected by the on-going Channel Tunnel disruption.

“I have heard first-hand about orders in some categories being down 80 per cent and valuable European markets built up over decades potentially being lost due to orders not being fulfilled.

“I held further discussions with sector representatives earlier today and it was agreed that the priority at the minute is to push for the urgent prioritisation in the Tunnel and at the ferry terminals of lorries which are carrying perishable goods.

“It was also agreed we need fresh thinking on alternative routes. The fish processing sector will determine their requirements, ahead of further talks scheduled to take place on Thursday.

“The situation in Calais is clearly complex and requires a multi-agency response involving both the UK and French authorities – and the Scottish government continues to urge the UK to play its part in a co-ordinated and comprehensive EU plan to action to deal with the humanitarian issues around the migrant crisis. But while that is going on, we also urgently need to address the immediate issue around getting vehicles and exports moving again.”

Scotland exported £461 million of seafood to Europe last year but Scottish firms have raised concerns about financial losses and cancelled orders as a result of the on-going delays at the Channel Tunnel.

The Cabinet Secretary added yesterday:

“Today’s discussion was productive, and it was agreed that the key representatives would continue to work closely as a group in order to find alternative routes to market urgently.

“Representatives from the transport sector are keen to hear the needs of the seafood sector and are committed to considering what options it has to assist.

“The Scottish Government will continue to work hard to investigate what practical support we might be able to offer, and in the meantime Scottish Ministers will continue to press the UK Government to bring about a swift resolution to this on-going situation.”

Notes To Editors

Scotland exported £461 million of seafood (fish, crustaceans, molluscs & aq.inverts & preps thereof) to the EU in 2014. Source: HMRC Regional Trade Statistics.

Fish commodities account for 59 per cent of all Scotland food export products compared with just 12 per cent for the UK as a whole. Source: HMRC Regional Trade Statistics.

See also: FM calls for urgent action over Calais.

 

Channel website: http://www.gov.scot/

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