Caithness seafood company owner says export delays are 'certainly more than teething problems'
The owner of a Caithness-based shellfish company has taken issue with claims by UK government ministers that the delays encountered by seafood exporters are no more than “teething problems”.
Diane Watt, who runs Holborn Fishing Company with husband Andrew, insisted the government should have been better prepared for the end of the Brexit transition period.
New border controls since the start of 2021 have caused serious disruption for firms that export to important European Union markets. A fleet of lorries staged a demonstration in central London on Monday, with the Scottish seafood sector reportedly losing £1 million a day.
UK environment, food and rural affairs secretary George Eustice had told the House of Commons on Thursday that the difficulties amounted to "teething problems", and foreign secretary Dominic Raab made the same assertion in a TV interview on Sunday.
Mrs Watt said today: “They knew that this was going happen – that was to be rolled out on January 1.

“People have had loads that they've had to dump because it's dead.
“It has just been horrendous for them, and it's certainly more than teething problems. If it was just teething problems they would manage to get through, but it's far more than that."
Holborn Fishing Company, which works with Glasgow-based shellfish buyer MacNeil Shellfish, managed to get some crabs and lobsters through on Sunday and Mrs Watt said more could follow this Sunday – "but there are no guarantees".
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged a £23 million compensation fund to help businesses that have had trouble exporting "through no fault of their own".
Mrs Watt responded: “If you divide all that between all the shellfish folk, it's not a huge amount. How they will split it, I don't know – or when that will be.”
Asked whether she felt the London protest will have helped exporters achieve some progress, Mrs Watt said: “It couldn't have hindered it, whether it helped or not. It certainly let them voice their opinion because it's such a job to get anything done.”
Christina Logue, a director of Scrabster firm JPL Shellfish, said: “Things are moving a bit better through to Europe but it's still slower than it was before. There is definitely some progress but we're waiting for an update today.
“We have managed to get some off but it's in transit at the moment so we're waiting to hear how that is going.”
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MP Jamie Stone has been urging everyone in the fishing industry caught up in the crisis to get in touch so he can confront the UK government over their experiences. He said last week the sector was "drowning in a Tory-made crisis".
Top stories
-
King hands over medals for Thurso lifeboat ‘legend’
-
‘A real delight and an honour’ as King Charles offers 70th birthday greetings to Dounreay
-
Caithness Art and Stone Festival is ready to rock with upcoming event in Halkirk
-
PICTURE SPECIAL: Community spirit runs high for colourful parade of floats and costumes at Wick Gala Week 2025
Mr Stone set up a web page and has been calling for feedback from those affected.
James Withers, chief executive of industry body Scotland Food & Drink, said on Monday: “Anger among Scotland’s seafood exporters has been simmering for two weeks now as the door to their most important market has been slammed shut. Many now fear for their survival.
"That anger has been stoked by a number UK ministers dismissing this crisis as ‘teething problems’ or, worse still, trying to make jokes about it.
“Compensation is now critical. However, that will only buy a little time. We desperately need to press pause on the new bureaucratic checks on exports. We need time to get systems properly built as they keep falling down.
“The UK government has already paused checks on EU imports until July 2021 and we need the same for goods going in the opposite direction, into the EU. That requires immediate dialogue with the European Commission.
“All our warnings that systems weren’t ready have sadly proven true and it is businesses now paying the heavy price for complacency and failure to act on our warnings."
A UK government spokesperson said: "We recognise the fishing industry is facing some temporary issues as businesses get used to new processes for exporting following the end of the transition period.
"Our priority is to ensure goods flow smoothly to market and we are working closely with industry and the authorities in EU countries to understand and address any issues with documentation."