DELAYS to fishing exports are just “teething problems” following Brexit, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has claimed.

Challenged about the warning from the seafood sector that fishing businesses could collapse within days, Raab said he was “not convinced” it was because of the Government’s trade deal with the European Union.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning, Raab argued the trading agreement will “create huge, sustainable opportunities” for the fishing sector.

READ MORE: 'A challenging 72 hours': Scottish seafood industry still dealing with Brexit chaos

Exports of fresh fish and seafood have been severely disrupted by delays since the UK’s transition period ended on December 31.

Some Scottish fishermen have been landing their catch in Denmark to avoid the “bureaucratic system” that exports to Europe now involve, according to Scotland’s Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing.

On land, lorries transporting freshly-caught produce have been held up at distribution hubs and many have struggled to enter into France – a situation which First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described as “shameful and disgraceful”.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon: Boris Johnson has 'sold out' Scotland's fishing industry

Analysis from the Scottish Government found that the UK Government's Brexit deal will result in a fall in the quantity of key fishing stocks landed, such as cod, haddock, whiting and saithe.

The deal means that the Scottish fishing industry will have access to fewer fishing opportunities than under the existing Common Fisheries Policy arrangements – even at the end of the five and a half year adjustment period.

READ MORE: French buyers hit out and Scottish fish prices plunge over Brexit export chaos

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a committee of MPs that fishing businesses would be compensated for what he described as “temporary frustrations”.

Asked about the potential collapse of parts of the fishing industry because of problems caused by the Brexit deal, Raab said: “I’m not convinced that that is the result of the agreement.

“The agreement we have struck – short term, medium term and long term – will create huge, sustainable opportunities.

“Of course we have always said as we leave the transition period with a deal, but even more if we hadn’t found a deal, there will be some teething problems.

“We are very focused on working with all the different sectors, including the fishing industry, to resolve any of these teething problems.”

It comes as Victoria Prentis, the Tory Fisheries Minister, and the Prime Minister both admitted they hadn't read the Brexit deal.

The SNP called for Prentis to resign after she said she was “very busy organising the local Nativity trail” and couldn't read all of the legislation.

Dr Philippa Whitford, the SNP's Shadow Brexit spokesperson, described Prentis' comment as "unbelievable".

READ MORE: SNP call on Victoria Prentis to quit for being 'too busy with nativity' to read Brexit deal

Earlier this week, Downing Street spokesperson was asked if Johnson had read the full deal, which was neither confirmed nor denied.

Instead, the press were reportedly told: “The Prime Minister is fully aware of the deal that we agreed.”

READ MORE: Boris Johnson has not read Brexit deal in full, Downing Street signals

Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland Alistair Carmichael said: “It’s hard to find a minister who will admit to having even sat down and read the trade deal.

“Brexit might be a game to the likes of Dominic Raab and Boris Johnson but for thousands of people in Scotland this is their business and their livelihood on the line.

“The Government needs to get a grip now.

“Fishermen are telling the PM that his deal did not do any of the things he claimed for it, let alone what he had promised.

“The harder the Tories spin, the angrier fishing communities get. The Government needs to start listening to the people who know what they are talking about and start to clean up the mess that the Prime Minister has created.”'

Scotland's fishing sector is furious with Tory ministers, who they feel have forced them to accept the “worst of both worlds” according to a letter from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.

The group wrote to the Prime Minister warning of “huge disappointment and a great deal of anger about your failure to deliver on promises made repeatedly to this industry”.

Scottish Tory MP David Duguid, who represents the Banff and Buchan constituency which covers the north-east coast, came under fire earlier this week after he argued it would be difficult to deliver on Johnson’s promise to compensate the fishing sector.

READ MORE: Scottish Tory MP throws fishermen 'under a Brexit bus' during BBC interview

Jacob Rees-Mogg was also blasted for claiming Brexit has made fish "British fish and they’re better and happier fish for it".

READ MORE: Fish are happier post-Brexit as they are British now, Jacob Rees-Mogg claims

He made the remark in response to genuine concerns raised by the SNP's Tommy Sheppard about the impact exiting the EU has had on the Scottish fishing industry.

Sheppard said exiting the European bloc had been a "disaster”, and asked for a debate on compensation for the Scottish fishing industry.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle intervened and noted: “Obviously there’s no overwhelming evidence for that.”

On Twitter, SNP MP Drew Hendry said the comments showed the Tories "are just getting worse and worse". "This is beyond negligence and complacency," he added.