SSPO COMMENT ON BREXIT SEAFOOD TASKFORCE

SSPO comment on Brexit Seafood Taskforce. Tavish Scott, Chief Executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, welcomed the announcement of the Brexit seafood task force but questioned the decision to lead it from the UK Government, rather than jointly with the Scottish Government.

He said:

“The formation of an export Taskforce is welcome two weeks after we raised this with the UK Government’s Michael Gove. We asked for this to be jointly led by Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s Rural Economy Secretary and Defra. Unfortunately the UK Government has decided to chair the taskforce alone and through the Scotland Office rather than DEFRA.

“We have been asking for both governments to work together on the red tape, extra export costs we face every day and the uncertainty on delivery times for fish into Europe. We are at a loss to understand why this taskforce is not a joint effort, but nevertheless we will work constructively with our colleagues across seafood to offer export solutions which can help.”