Frustrating news for the UK's salmon industry as Defra announces a halt to its digital health certifcate programme for fish exports to the EU, meaning a return to inefficient and time-consuming paper-based certification.
One of the consequences of the UK's departure from the European Union has been the increase in export parperwork for perishable goods. For fish exports, the cost of the extra paperwork has been estimated at £3m per year.
In September 2021, the UK government introduced a pilot scheme designed to streamline the process by digitising the health certificates. The Scottish salmon industry in particular welcomed the scheme, with significant producers such as Cooke Aquaculture Scotland signing up for the pilot.
However, the pilot programme has now ended – with no immediate replacement in sight.
According to a report in the Guardian newspaper, Defra wrote to participating companies to say "Whilst moving to a fully digital service for export health certificates remains our ambition, we are planning to bring the current exercise to a close." However, the letter did not specify when the digital service is likely to be available.
This means that salmon exporters will be obliged to return to paper-based health certificates, with the prospect of refrigerated lorries loaded with seafood delayed at EU ports prompting industry representatives to express their frustration and disappointment.
Tavish Scott, CEO of Salmon Scotland, the Scottish trade organisation for salmon producers, said the delay "leaves salmon companies with ongoing red tape costs which have already been racking up for more than two-and-a-half years."
"Farm-raised salmon is the UK's largest food export, and we need governments to reduce the burden on our sector so that we can grow sustainably, produce more nutritious food, create highly-skilled jobs, and boost the Scottish and UK economies."
"The sector is disappointed with the length of time this is taking, but we're pleased there will be work to develop a global export system – and we'll be the first to put our hands up and volunteer to help develop and test it.
"We want to do everything to avoid further delays and additional costs when it comes to exporting our world-famous salmon, which is in increasing demand across the globe."
The trade and marketing body Seafood Scotland also expressed frustration, with CEO Donna Fordyce saying "I am disappointed that, more than a year after setting up a pilot programme to test a new, digital system, which would save the Scottish seafood industry hundreds of thousands of man hours in completing paper forms, we still have nothing more permanent in place."
"We would urge Defra to make this a priority to support seafood businesses so that they can export their highly perishable premium seafood in a nimble and efficient way as quickly as possible."
