Fishing chiefs give warning over ‘madness’ of protocol

Daniel Whittle, managing director of Whitby Scampi, said that at present the company’s entire UK prawn processing function is in Kilkeel, but he is wondering if that still makes sense because of post-Brexit veterinary inspections that he described as “utter madness” since they treat NI as if it was a country outside the UK.

He said: “We don’t have a Scottish site currently. We could open a site and take part of the business — some or all of the processing — to Scotland. We’re not committed to anything – we’re looking at the practical costs.”

Harry Wick, CEO of the NI Fish Producers Organisation, said: “If they pull out of NI that would be potentially catastrophic – there are no two ways about it.

“They are one of the pillars of local industry and it would be like losing a leg from a three legged stool. Potentially the whole thing would fall over.”

It is estimated the NI industry employs 1,200 people and lands £40m of fish per year which, value added, could be worth up to £100m per year to NI.

Mr Wick says the protocol’s Irish Sea customs border treats NI fishermen as though they have come from a foreign country when they return to their own ports.

Alan McCulla of the Anglo North Irish Fish Producers Organisation in Kilkeel agrees that the protocol will mean NI fishermen would be “foreigners in their home ports”.

“It is simply absurd and the government agrees this is absurd,” he said. “We were told the matter would be resolved through the Joint Committee, which didn’t happen. We read with interest the latest proposals from the EU to resolve the impasse. There was nothing there. Two weeks ago in London we met the UK’s Fisheries Minister. Commitments and empty promises were made. Actions speak louder than words.”