[VIDEO] There’s a sombre atmosphere on the Brixham Quay in Devon, and not just because it’s January. This fishing community has been waiting four years for Brexit, to be able to « take back their waters ». But the only thing they’ve taken back since January is their rotten fish that they haven’t been able to export.

Local man, Paul Stone, has been a fisherman in Brixham for 30 years. Like many of his comrades, he voted in favour of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union in 2016. However, since the 1st January 2021, the new paperwork required (customs declarations, health certificates and certificates of origin) has led to long delays at the border and huge, unforeseen costs. In Paul’s word’s, « this is not what they were promised », and on the quay, the sense of disappointment is tangible.

Meredith Ruleman

Photo credits : Meredith Ruleman

This video was created for the module Web Journalism in January 2021