Fish and chip shops ‘at risk’ as UK plans Russian seafood sanctions

Government sources say cod and haddock exports will be hit with tariffs

A third of Britain’s chippies are concerned they will have to close if there are shortages of whitefish and oil (PA )

UK ministers are reportedly set to hit Russia with a fresh wave of sanctions that will target seafood imports, but are risking the trade of British fish and chip shops.

Tariffs will be introduced for exports of Russian whitefish, including cod and haddock, it’s claimed.

Currently, Britain imports around 30 per cent of its whitefish from Russia. The country also controls a staggering 45 per cent of the global market.

Now, a third of Britain’s chippies are concerned they will have to close if there are shortages of whitefish and oil.

Whitefish was flagged as one of the imports to be hit by sanctions back in March but was then left out (AP)

A government source told The Telegraph: “There are no timescales on when we introduce the tariffs but we’ve made it very clear we intend to introduce them.”

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, warned the tariffs would “pile more pressure on an industry already feeling the full force of inflationary costs”.

He added that the industry does not expect “special treatment” but hopes that the government will reduce VAT as part of a long-term strategy to help counter the effect of sanctions.

Andrew Bridgen, Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire also said that he supported the “necessary sanctions” but expressed concern for the “devastating effect” on fish and chip business owners.

“Fish and chips shops are a totemic part of British life, and if it becomes an expensive treat rather than a staple many of them will be out of business,” he told The Telegraph.

Whitefish was flagged as one of the imports to be hit by sanctions back in March but was then left out.

A ban on Russian caviar introduced by Brussels and London is also due to be implemented at the end of the month as the west turns up the pressure on Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.