Seafish wins Supreme Court appeal over import levy

Published on Wednesday 15 June 2011 18:07

The Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) has won a Supreme Court ruling that it is entitled to charge a levy on sea fish imports.

Fish import businesses are being warned that they will now be called on to pay the levy - back-dated to March last year.

But Seafish chief executive Paul Williams said the decision would have "a positive impact on the entire seafood industry".

The statutory authority was set up in 1981 to "promote the efficiency of the sea fish industry" and provides services ranging from research and development, economic consultation and market research through to legislative advice. Its activities are financed by the disputed levy, imposed on "persons engaged in the sea fish industry".

Seafish was accused by importers, led by Bloomsbury International, of illegally extending the levy to imported fish when it only had the authority to charge it on UK-landed fish. Seafish and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs won the case in the High Court, but lost an appeal last year, resulting in "a significant loss of income".

Now five Supreme Court justices have unanimously ruled the levy does not breach EU law.