An Ulverston fishmonger has revealed his experience of how the fish industry has been suffering from Brexit.

Chris Sanders, who owns Lake District Lobster and Seafood Co, has already noted rising import fees as a result of Britain's exit from the EU.

On one day, Mr Sanders bought two halibut from Norway which cost an extra £180 to import due to new regulations.

New border checks between the UK and EU have caused disruption to the industry, with the Dartmouth Crab Company stating their lorries had faced an eight-and-a-half-hour delay at the border.

This, Mr Sanders said, has resulted in fisheries losing money with their goods going off before reaching Europe, highlighting that one UK supplier had failed to export more than a thousand boxes of langoustines.

In 2019, the UK fishing industry exported more than 333,000 tonnes of fish to the EU; nearly half of the total catch.

Mr Sanders has said that UK fishermen are now refusing to fish, which has driven up prices.

He said: “It's a nightmare.

"Fishermen in this country think there is no point in working, as they can’t sell fish abroad.

“This, and the increased cost of imports, has meant less fish in the UK market, and now customers do not want to buy fish as it is too expensive."

Speaking in the House of Commons this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged there had been issues.

He said: "It is absolutely true that some British fishermen have faced barriers at the present time owing to complications over form-filling and indeed one of the biggest problems is that, alas, there is a decline in appetite for fish in continental markets just because most of the restaurants, as he knows, are shut."