Loss of Bridlington shellfish firm shows rethink is needed on Brexit trading arrangements: The Yorkshire Post says

Baron Shellfish Ltd has played an important role in Bridlington growing into Britain’s largest shellfish port, with a healthy and profitable trade in exporting the catch from our waters to Europe.

Against a backdrop of many difficult decades for Yorkshire’s fishing industry, this has been a notable success story that created jobs and charted a new course for the east coast fleet. Indeed, shellfish is now central to Bridlington’s economy.

It is very much to be hoped that the company’s closure does not mark the beginning of a decline in the shellfish trade from our coast, and it is essential that the Government is alive to the difficulties exporters are experiencing with increased bureaucracy as a result of Brexit.

The majority which voted to leave the EU did not expect companies to close as a result, having been promised smooth trading arrangements with our European neighbours.

Exporters around the country have raised concerns that those arrangements are cumbersome and require a mass of additional paperwork.

It is unacceptable, and bad for the country, if that is leading to companies closing with the consequent loss of jobs.

The closure of a long-established Yorkshire business should act as a warning to the Government that it may need to look again at new trading arrangements with Europe and make changes.

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