Boost to Brexit transition support with our new hub for the seafood industry — Seafish
News article
25 November 2020

Boost to Brexit transition support with our new hub for the seafood industry

We have improved our guidance to focus on helping seafood businesses continue to trade in 2021 with a revamped website hub, webinars and 1-2-1 support

We've enhanced our guidance to help seafood businesses to prepare for the end of the UK’s transition period with the EU. Our updated Brexit hub now focuses on practical actions seafood businesses should take now to continue to trade smoothly from 1 January 2021.

In order to support seafood businesses to work through this complex issue, the Brexit transition hub is based on the activities businesses are involved in. Seafood businesses can now access the guidance most relevant to them based on whether they import, export, process and distribute or catch and farm seafood.

The guidance has been prepared to support seafood businesses in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales.) It will continue to be reviewed and updated in the coming weeks. We are also developing guidance on moving goods under the Northern Ireland Protocol. This will be relevant to businesses in Northern Ireland and to businesses in England, Scotland and Wales who trade with Northern Ireland.

This is a complex issue and there is a world of information out there. In putting this improved guidance together we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for seafood businesses to know what actions they need to take now. Businesses may well have heard much of this before but the key thing to note is that many of these requirements will not change, whether a deal is reached with the EU or not.

We are also working directly with many businesses with complex cases, in particular through our Importers and Exporters Forums. Specifics can make cases complicated very quickly and we’re happy to speak directly to UK seafood businesses to help them resolve any issues they are experiencing.
Fiona Wright, Head of Regulatory Affairs

Preparing for new customs procedures has been flagged as a particular issue for many seafood businesses that we have spoken to. We have therefore organised a webinar focusing on this topic on Monday 30 November from 1pm to 2pm with speakers from the new Trader Support Service and the Institute of Export & International Trade.

Our regulation experts have also been assisting Marine Scotland with a series of webinars and delivering virtual presentations to various groups throughout the seafood sector.

We have partnered with the Department for International Trade on a series of webinars to help businesses looking for new overseas market opportunities. Japan and the United Arab Emirates have already been featured with sessions looking at USA and China in the pipeline. Export guides, with vital information on starting and growing trade with key seafood markets, are also available to download.