A thread on Brexit, British mussels and the New Zealand trade deal, which I’m told is ‘another nail in the coffin’ of a suffering industry.
I love mussels by the way.
1/ https://t.co/BS8XK0H1QR

The NZ trade deal cuts tariffs on kiwi green lipped mussels to zero from up to 20% over 4 years. This would not be fatal to British mussel farmers if it wasn’t for the fact they have been shut out of its major market - the EU. 2/

Why? EU exports became impossible after Brexit took effect on January 1 because the UK was treated as a non-EU country under Brussels’ public health rules.
3/

That meant mussels must be purified before exporting to the EU. When the UK was a member state, live mussels would be transported to EU purification facilities but there are no UK equivalents.
4/ https://t.co/EM7YvjQ7oK

Trade w/ EU has stopped. UK has not convinced Brussels to go for lighter touch for industry that mainly exports mussels live.
Like fishermen, shellfish industry feels sold down river by Boris Johnson. UKG has offered 23m for sector to offset Brexit and Covid but anger remains.5

Understandably so, James Wilson who runs Bangor mussel company Deepdock, exported 95 percent at least of his product to the EU. So why not concentrate on the domestic market? It is too small.
6/

The UK Mussel industry produces about 15,000-25000 tonnes of product a year, with British consumption of live and partially cooked mussels at just 6,000 tonnes. Why we dont want this fantastic stuff astounds me.
7 https://t.co/YgwGAOnrMB

On top of this we have the prospect of cheap kiwi mussels. They are not as tasty as our blue mussels but they are more convenient as they are frozen and they are cheaper.
8/

David Jarrad of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain @SAGB said, “The New Zealand import issue may not put producers out of business by itself but it is another nail in the lid of a coffin that is already closing,”
9/

The government says the NZ trade deal has safeguard mechanisms that will stop imports causing serious harm to the injury - but if the industry is already mortally wounded how can that help?
10/ https://t.co/rUdxFofLPE

UK mussels exports face no tariffs to NZ BTW. But it aint a fair fight. Kiwi industry has grown from humble beginnings in the early 1980s to producing about 100,000 tonnes of product each year, worth about £130m at first sale value - thanks to government engagement. 11/

For all his island nation talk it is very hard to shake the suspicion the PM @BorisJohnson doesn’t really care about the industries based around our fantastic coast - be they fishermen or mussel farmers.
12/ https://t.co/4NHjGAfnJT

Anyway full story here and poundshop @pmdfoster impression over. Register your email to get paywall.

Also - EAT MORE UK seafood and fish - because it is brilliant and they need your support. 13/ ENDS

https://t.co/RXh9RGKnJD

also featuring @SamuelMarcLowe

while it is entirely up to EU to set rules for access to its own market, this is self defeating for EU restaurants etc market is there, established, complements existing growers.

So you can be ideological (goes for both sides) or you can find a sensible fix. But prps 2 soon

A good piece here from @adampayne26 , which I have only just read sadly

https://t.co/UXQvuHgumu