Saving Seafood

UK travel ban hits seafood exports

December 21, 2020 — With a growing number of countries introducing bans on people and goods arriving from the United Kingdom because of concerns about the spread of a new variant of coronavirus, the seafood industry has warned that businesses and livelihoods are now at risk.

On the evening of Sunday, 20 December, France shut its border with the U.K. for 48 hours, meaning that no trucks or ferries could sail from the port of Dover. Meanwhile, India, Hong Kong, Canada, Switzerland, and Germany have suspended flights from the U.K., with more countries announcing their intention to follow suit.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Brexit helpline to help UK seafood sector during transition

December 18, 2020 — A new temporary helpline to help support U.K. seafood businesses with last-minute Brexit issues has been launched by public body Seafish.

Operating from 21 December, 2020, through 4 January, 2021, the service will give seafood businesses experiencing specific matters around the end of the transition period continued access to direct support from the authority’s regulation experts.

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EU chief says UK trade pact closer but success not certain

December 17, 2020 — Britain and the European Union have moved closer to sealing a new trade deal but it was still unclear if they would succeed, the bloc’s chief executive said on Wednesday.

Britain and the EU are in the final stretch of talks to keep an estimated one trillion dollars of annual trade free of tariffs and quotas beyond Dec. 31, when the United Kingdom finally transitions out of the world’s largest trading bloc.

With just over two weeks left, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped the EU would “see sense” and agree a deal that respected Britain’s sovereignty, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the bloc favoured agreement.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament: “I cannot tell you whether there will be a deal or not. But I can tell you that there is a path to an agreement now. The path may be very narrow but it is there.”

Her relatively upbeat comments on the long-running Brexit crisis helped nudge sterling upwards on currency markets. However, von der Leyen also said two issues were still unsolved.

Read the full story at Reuters

NGOs, WTO delegates label EU fisheries funding as harmful subsidy

December 16, 2020 — A EUR 6.1 billion (USD 7.4 billion) budget of the next European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) for 2021 to 2027 is drawing criticism from NGOs and a WTO delegate, who say it represents a harmful subsidy encouraging unsustainable fishing.

The package was agreed to in principle last week in Brussels by the European Union’s parliament, and the European Council, composed of member-state governments.

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Brexit talks hinge on reciprocal access for EU fishing fleet

December 14, 2020 — European Union and United Kingdom negotiators will this week push harder to establish an agreement on post-Brexit trade after both sides agreed “to go the extra mile.”

A deadline to finish talks had been set for Sunday, 13 December, but U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have agreed to an extension after discussing the major unresolved topics in a phone call.

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UK, EU leaders meet to get trade talks back on track

December 9, 2020 — With time running out to reach a deal before 31 December, when the United Kingdom stops following European trade rules as a result of its decision to leave the European Union, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to fly to Brussels for talks on a post-Brexit deal with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

According to a joint statement from Johnson and von der Leyen, the pair have taken stock of the ongoing negotiations, and have deemed significant differences on business competition rules, governance issues, and fisheries rights remain the primary sticking points to achieving a deal.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

France will not ‘sacrifice’ its fishermen in any Brexit deal, says minister

December 8, 2020 — Negotiations between Britain and the European Union over a post-Brexit trade deal are complex and France will oppose any pact that “sacrifices” its fishermen, French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said on Tuesday.

“On fisheries there is no reason to yield to Britain’s pressure. We can make some efforts but sacrificing fisheries and fishermen, no,” Beaune told RMC radio, reiterating that France would veto any agreement it considered a “bad” deal.

Since Britain left the European Union in January, each side has urged the other to make concessions to unlock a trade deal before Britain’s transition period for leaving the bloc ends on Dec. 31.

Read the full story at Reuters

New European fisheries, aquaculture fund progresses

December 7, 2020 — A provisional political agreement on the European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) for the period of 2021-2027 has been reached by the European Commission, Council, and Parliament.

The new package is intended to support sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, the development of local coastal communities, the promotion of a sustainable blue economy, the implementation of the E.U.’s maritime policy towards safe and sustainably managed seas and oceans, and international ocean governance.

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UK seafood supply chains adapted to pandemic during summer respite

December 4, 2020 — The temporary easing of coronavirus restrictions in the United Kingdom during the summer months provided a platform for the country’s seafood supply chains to start to get back on track, finds the latest COVID-19 impact review compiled by public body Seafish.

Focusing on the months July to September 2020 – a period that saw restrictions relaxed before being scaled up again – the new review confirms that in particular, foodservice demand increased in the United Kingdom and Europe, with consumers given the opportunity to eat meals out of their homes.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

EU-UK trade deal hangs in the balance with four weeks to go

December 3, 2020 — The European Union and Britain talked into late on Thursday to try to secure a Brexit trade deal, with an EU official saying an agreement was closer than ever but a UK government source warning chances for a breakthrough were receding.

Since Britain left the EU in January, negotiators have struggled to overcome their differences, with each side urging the other to make concessions to unlock a trade deal before London’s transition period out of the bloc ends on Dec. 31.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier is due to update 27 national envoys to the bloc’s hub Brussels on Friday on the latest in the talks. A senior British government source said the prospect of a breakthrough in the next few days was receding.

A member of Barnier’s team said earlier on Thursday that significant gaps remained on the three most contentious issues and that the final outcome was still uncertain.

“The long and the short story is that talks are continuing in London. Significant divergences remain,” Stefaan de Rynck told a seminar in the Belgian capital. “Both sides are working hard to overcome them but the outcome is uncertain.”

Read the full story at Reuters