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British economy nets record income from seafood sales to mainland Europe

Xinhua, April 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

British fishermen sold 85 percent of their shellfish to mainland Europe in 2015, generating more than 523 million U.S. dollars for British economy, government environment secretary Elizabeth Truss said Wednesday.

From seafood paella in Madrid to Coquilles Saint Jacques in Paris, the latest export figures show seafood caught off British shores has a prominent place on restaurant menus and supermarket shelves across Europe, said Defra, the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs.

Since 2012, scallop exports from Britain to France have leapt by almost 18 percent to the highest level since records began. Langoustine exports to Mediterranean countries like Spain were worth more than 116 million U.S. dollars and salmon exports, while exports to the other 27 EU member states were worth 320 million U.S. dollars last year.

British fishermen currently have easy access to Europe, free from tariffs or other unnecessary red tape, but outside the EU the potential loss to fish and shellfish exporters could be up to 145 million U.S. dollars, Defra warned.

Commenting on the latest export figures, Secretary Truss said: "With the UK exporting twice as much seafood to Europe than to the rest of the world -- from scallops to France and langoustines to Spain -- 360 million pounds of British seafood is heading for Europe's markets, making a splash on their menus."

"UK fishermen continue to reap the benefits of easy access, tariff-free to the world's largest single market of 500 million consumers. That is why it's great to see UK companies flying the flag for our fishing industry in Brussels this week and using the opportunity to take advantage of easy access to the EU market," she added.

Exports of all British fish and fish products to the EU were worth over 1.3 billion U.S. dollars to Britain's growing economy in 2015, almost 70 percent of the country's total exports for the sector, said Defra.

The British government is citing record seafood sales to mainland Europe as a reason for staying with the EU.

Defra says sustainable fishing has led to stock recovery, allowing significant quota increases for 2016 in iconic species like cod and haddock in the North Sea and plaice in the English Channel. Enditem