A number of people are suggesting myself and others in the shellfish industry have been lazy, stupid (or both) for not being ‘prepared’ for the carnage Brexit has caused on the shellfish export industry. If we predicted this, why weren’t we ready?
1/9
Many small shellfish businesses don’t have the money needed to build a depuration plant. £100k cost for a small plant wouldn’t provide the depuration capacity some companies need. Add a zero to their costs to reach capacity levels. If they did have the investment...
2/9
They probably don’t have the land to build on. Ideally you need your plant close to where you harvest your shellfish. Where I live the land is under marine protection making it a mountain to climb if you wanted to build on it. If you do have the money and land...
3/9
Your shellfish might be at risk of dying after depuration and long delays at port. Shellfish can struggle with the stress of being depurated so are relaid, unpurified, in A grade waters in the EU so they can be sold straight out of the sea. They are depurated too but...
4/9
We come back in a circle; you need large capacity to ensure the shellfish isn’t stressed thus reducing shellfish mortality. If you have a purification plant and shellfish which is happy during depuration then surely you’re on to a winning formula?
5/9
We have a depuration plant next to the water where our oysters grow. Our oysters are purified in temperature controlled conditions so they are happy and have a long shelf life. What’s the problem then?
6/9
The Brexit deal is almost the same as a no deal; I can’t export our product because the costs associated with the paperwork and delays has pushed our prices up so we are no longer competitive with our EU oyster neighbours (Ireland, France, Denmark)
7/9
We have sold 0 oysters to Europe in 2021 because our Govt failed to sort the procedures involved with unpurified shellfish and the paperwork needed for purified means we are now too expensive. If we kept our prices the same we would make huge losses
8/9
The ‘oven ready deal’ which would make us a ‘global Britain’ has shrunk our market options and made the UK inward looking. I was prepared and have adapted the business as much as I can. No preparation was possible for Govt incompetence and negligence though.
9/9
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George Eustice was being deceptive on TV. I have read the Fisheries section of the TCA and undepurated shellfish export isn’t mentioned. This omission means the UK would abide by current EU regulations if it isn’t in Exit Legislation...
1/6
Eustice claims the EU “said” there wouldn’t be an issue with exports like it was an agreement they had whilst chatting over a pint. And he said they said there are Export Health Certificates which would cover unpurified bivalves...
2/6
He is either lying or ignorant. The only EHC which covers bivalves specifies they need to be purified or fit for human consumption. There’s no ambiguity on this certificate...
3/6
The phrase, ‘EU shellfish ban,’ keeps being used by news outlets and it’s important to understand how this language is misleading and how Government is deliberately using misinformation to hide from its own failures...
1/10
As a producer of live animals (oysters) who sells them on for human consumption, there are, quite rightly, rigorous standards we must meet to ensure what we sell is safe for people to eat. One of the most important factors in this process...
2/10
is the issue of water quality. If water quality is really poor (high amounts of sewage or rubbish dumped), animals like oysters will absorb the dangerous bacteria and make them unsafe to harvest. There are 3 grades of water quality for shellfish production
3/10
Brexit is impacting every aspect to our business in very significant ways. We usually buy wooden boxes from France (pictured) as they are robust, look good and are the traditional choice for packaging oysters... 1/6
Massive complications have emerged though in trying to import boxes in 2021. The haulier who usually transports them can only get customs clearance in France. We would need to find an agent in the UK to do UK clearance. But...
2/6
This haulier (who has many years experience) had no suggestion who we could approach to obtain import clearance. Clearances alone will add £200 to the cost of getting these boxes. Plus...
3/6