Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has urged “vital” compensation for the fishing industry to be brought forward and delivered immediately.
He added that both of Scotland’s governments must stop turning fishing exports into a constitutional battle over Brexit and focus on fixing the problems.
Raising the issue with DEFRA secretary George Eustice in the House of Commons, Douglas Ross asked that the UK Government deliver compensation for unavoidable export losses.
Douglas Ross is also today calling on the Scottish Government to accept their side of responsibility and deal with ongoing issues involving their agency, Food Standards Scotland, which are holding up exports within Scotland.
Jimmy Buchan of the Scottish Seafood Association has checks that should take around an hour have been taking up to five hours.
Meanwhile, in the Scottish Parliament today (Thursday), Scottish Conservative Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston requested that the SNP accept the offer of help from the UK Government to clear up the issues at Food Standards Scotland.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “The problems affecting the Scottish fishing industry need to be cleared up immediately.
“Nobody wants to see another constitutional battle over Brexit, they just want both governments to work together to get the problems sorted.
“The UK Government’s offer to provide additional support to help with issues at Food Standards Scotland is welcome and I hope the Scottish Government will now accept that support.
“Financial compensation from the UK Government is also vital and must be delivered as quickly as possible.”
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism, Jamie Halcro Johnston said: “It is quite clear that the Scottish Government has failed to play its part in helping the fishing industry gets its products to market.
“Industry representatives cannot understand why checks that are taking place in Scotland are taking so long, causing unnecessary delays to transportation.
“The sector just wants to see both governments get behind them so that these problems are overcome and their products, which are in such demand, can get to their customers.
“That’s why I asked the Cabinet Secretary to put aside the party politics, recognise the need for both governments to work together on a package of short-term support for those businesses which have been impacted by losses and make sure this gets to our fishing industry as quickly as possible”
