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Fishing boats must register with Highland Council ahead of Brexit deadline


By Mike Merritt

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Fishing boats at Wick are among those which must be registered.
Fishing boats at Wick are among those which must be registered.

Fishing boats in the Highlands have been warned that they need to urgently register as ‘food businesses’ because of Brexit.

They will also need to have their vessel inspected by Highland Council to enable its catch to be exported, either directly or indirectly, to Europe after Britain leaves the EU.

Owners are being urged to contact the council to register their vessel and make arrangements for it to be inspected before the transition period ends on December 31.

"It is the responsibility of the fishing vessel food business operator or their representative to register with us. Failure to do so may result in your catch being unable to be exported to EU Member States at the end of the transition period," warned the council.

"It is therefore a legal requirement to register. However, there is an exemption if your catch is intended either solely for your own consumption, or it does not exceed 25 kilograms and is for direct sale from the quayside.

"If your fishing vessel 'home port' is located within the Highland Council area (for example Scrabster or Wick) then you must register with us.

"Based on the activities carried out, certain fishing vessels are required to be approved rather than registered. If you are unsure whether any aspect of your food operations would require your establishment to be approved, please contact us for guidance."

In September, only around 17 per cent of a potential 400 vessels had registered, putting many Highland fishermen at a commercial disadvantage to competitors.

For more information, see www.highland.gov.uk/info/135/health_and_safety_-_food/82/food_premises_registration/3


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