Charlie Smith
BREXIT could harm the €237 million Falklands to Spain squid trade, fisherman have warned.
The sale of the seafood supports 10,000 jobs in Spain and the British overseas territory.
But it is feared that Spanish boats may not be able to fish in Falklands waters once the UK leaves the EU.
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Also, squid entering Spain could be subject to World Trade Organisation tariffs of between six and 18%.
Loligo squid is the Falklands’ main export and 90% of it – 80,000 tonnes in 2019 – is shipped to Vigo in Galicia.
More than 33% of the squid eaten in Spain and Europe comes from the Falklands.
“The impact of Brexit is very worrying,” Javier Touza, the owner of a ship, which travelled to the seas of Las Malvinas (Falklands) told the Times.
The president of Vigo’s fishing vessel owners’ co-operative added: “Politicians in Spain and Britain are doing nothing and we are walking off a cliff.
“There is no plan B. After Brexit will Spanish boats be able to fish in Falklands waters?
“Will Falklands squid be subject to tariffs entering the EU? Nobody has an answer.
“We have the closest relationship with our Falklands associates that has developed over many years.”
He said that longer negotiations between the UK and EU could be devastating, because managing a fleet of ships is expensive.
Residents of the Falklands did not get to vote in the 2016 EU referendum.
