Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

Fishermen face £199 fee to export to European Union

18 Mar 2023 2 minute read
Fishing boat at Milford Haven dock. Photo by Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0

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.


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago

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 !

Last edited 1 year ago by Mab Meirion
Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

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. 🙄

Last edited 1 year ago by Y Cymro
Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

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…

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
1 year ago

Pembrokeshire voted 29,367 Remain and 39,155 Leave

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
1 year ago
Reply to  Kerry Davies

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.

Jamie
Jamie
1 year ago

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?

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.