A North Shields fisherman regrets voting for Brexit, citing increased costs and red tape affecting his business five years after the UK left the EU.
He shared his thoughts with a GB News reporter. Andy said Brexit hasn’t worked as promised. He’s facing high costs due to new rules and paperwork. In fact, he claims the red tape has increased by 100 times since Brexit.
Andy exports langoustines to France, Spain, and Italy. But now, those countries can import seafood from within the EU at lower prices. This makes it tough for him to compete.
After Brexit, he struggled to send products to Europe. With a short shelf life of four to five days, he wasted hundreds of kilos of seafood. The costs have hit hard, adding 30 to 50 pence for every kilo of prawns he lands.
When asked if Brexit helped local fishermen, Andy said there’s been no change. He noted that they no longer see Dutch vessels in the area. The local fishing fleet hasn’t benefited from any larger share of the North Sea.
Andy voted for Brexit to reduce red tape. He wanted to move away from EU regulations. But he feels nothing has changed. The same legislative issues remain, and costs keep rising.