Major fish supplier says Irish Sea border 'disastrous' after big shipment is turned back at Belfast Port over Protocol paperwork

Crawford Ewing, director of Ewing Seafoods based on the Shankill in west Belfast, supplies hundreds of restaurants around the Province and says that the post-Brexit port arrangements have proven “disastrous”.

He was speaking after a shipment of fish from Scotland was sent back across the Irish Sea over a one-letter error in the paperwork which firms must now fill out when shipping to Northern Ireland.

Mr Ewing had spoken to the News Letter last April after three such rejections occurred within the space of three weeks. Now he says that the problem is still going on.

The 57-year-old, who has been working in the family business for about 40 years, said that, on Saturday, a lorry pulling a 40ft trailer full of fish was stopped at Belfast Port after disembarking a ship from Scotland.

The load was due to be split between him and other fishmongers.

His portion of the shipment amounted to about £20,000-worth of haddock, monkfish, and coley (pollock).

He said that some of the serial numbers on some boxes within the shipment were found not to match their paperwork.

As a result, the whole shipment was turned around and sent back to Scotland.

He said it was then re-admitted to Northern Ireland on Monday (though Belfast City Council, which manages much of the inspection regime at the port, said it was Sunday).

The delay had meant that about 200 of the 300 restaurants supplied by Ewing's did not get what they ordered on time, harming business over the very busy Easter weekend.

"As far as the whole border Brexit thing goes, I wouldn't be very knowledgeable," said Mr Ewing.

"All I know is that the disruption it causes is crazy. It definitely has an impact on our business. Customers didn't get what they wanted.

"We were ducking and diving and getting frozen stuff out as opposed to what they wanted – quality fresh stuff. And that on one of the busiest days of the year.

"There could be fish on that [lorry] for 10 different people - it's a 40ft lorry full of stuff.

"On Saturday I'm led to believe that one person had ordered seven boxes of haddock and the haddock apparently had one letter wrong in the batch code. Because of those seven boxes, the whole lorry is rejected.

"On Saturday, probably 200 deliveries were ruined, all around Ireland. Chefs are hot-headed: they just say 'get me this' and you've got to do your best to get it."

But he stressed the problem "wasn't us – it was beyond our control".

Ewing's (which employs 28 people) has been importing fish from Scotland "every day" for perhaps 50 years he said.

"Importing from Scotland since Brexit came, we have lost a lot of good suppliers, fresh and frozen suppliers – small businesses that can't manage the paperwork," he said.

"It's been disastrous. It added money on to our transport costs from every supplier. They've had to employ someone to come and do it. That jump was put on as soon as Brexit came because of the paperwork.

"It's terrible. This border – ah, it's not good. I think no matter how much we shout about it, I think there'll be nobody who'll do anything about it."

How would he respond to those who say the sea border either doesn't really exist, or is no real problem?

"It's a big problem. Come and stand in our boots here and see what happens. It's not easy. Fish is so expensive at the moment. Just it's another kick in the teeth," he said.

The News Letter contacted the Department of Agriculture, the Environment, and Rural Affairs (DAERA). It referred the News Letter to the council.

The council said: "Belfast City Council’s Port Health Service facilitates, with DEARA, the entry of compliant fish products through Belfast Port, particularly those destined for or at risk of entering the EU (red lane products).

"While the majority of consignments are routinely cleared on arrival, an issue arose on Saturday, April 19, 2025, when a fish consignment failed the required identity checks.

"In response, the council worked closely with the importer to swiftly return the consignment to its point of export. The products were subsequently re-imported via Belfast Port later that evening and presented for inspection the following morning.

"After passing all necessary checks, the consignment was approved for entry."