Fishermen face £199 fee to export to European Union
Bruce Sinclair, local democracy reporter
A £199 fee is to be introduced for Pembrokeshire fishing businesses that export food to the EU.
Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet members were asked to consider implementing a fee for Export Health Certificates (ECH) issued by the Port Health Team at this month’s cabinet meeting.
The EHC was introduced after Brexit and is the official document that confirms that food exports meets the health requirements of the destination country.
The certificate is required by all companies in Wales, England and Scotland exporting or moving live animals or animal products to, or through the EU.
A report for Cabinet said: “As a result of Brexit, fishery products exported to the European Union from the United Kingdom now require an EHC, as laid out in the Official Control Regulations 2017/625.”
Exporters
Members were told The Port Health Team receives requests – 20 in 2022 – for EHCs from a number of Pembrokeshire businesses, and fishing vessels, which land their catch in Milford Haven Docks, where the consignments are destined for the European Union.
The Port Health Team assumes responsibility for matters relating to fish and fishery products, issuing certificates as part of this function.
The team receives applications from exporters and attend the vessels at the time of landing to inspect the catch/consignment and to issue the certificates.
Legislation enables the council to charge for this service, allowing it to operate a full cost recovery for its time inspecting and administering the requirements of the certification.
A fee to cover this was calculated at £199 [excluding VAT] per EHC request, which was recommended for approval.
Cabinet members agreed to support the introduction of the fees.
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So every time a small inshore boat lands its catch it is another £200 on top of all the other expenses involved. That’s the skipper’s share gone !
Can you smell the sovereignty people. This is Wales Brexit dividend. And yes, those who voted yes to leave the EU did it to make Wales poorer.
Also under threat is Wales hard fought voice with devolution. And it can only get worse when our human & workers rights are shredded by fishy Rishy Sunak and his facist Conservative idiocracy in London. 🙄
Y Cymro, I have posed a question on Hywel Williams MP’s piece on housing on the opinion page, I would welcome your take on my theory…diolch…
Pembrokeshire voted 29,367 Remain and 39,155 Leave
I bet most have changed their minds now.
When there is an important decision to be made, you always need to get your facts from trusted sources and think it through.
If some still want ‘to leave’ they should be free to go – to leave Wales.
Wales can be taken out of Europe.
But, Wales will always be European.
I will NOT leave! I will not be driven from my homeland! Perhaps you, who are by your actions a self-proclaimed antidemocrat, should leave and move to the EU?