AT least 10 shellfish lorries parked on roads near No 10 this morning in protest against the chaos Brexit has brought fishing firms.

A fleet of lorries from across the West Coast and beyond has headed to England to protest outside Downing Street over fears they may be driven out of business.

One lorry, with the slogan "Brexit Carnage", was parked just metres from Downing Street. Fishing firms are reportedly planning on dumping their catch outside. Police were asking the lorry drivers for details.

Alasdair Hughson,  chairman of the Scottish Creel Fishermen's Federation, said: "After the year that all of these businesses have had, struggling to survive against the odds, now faced with this situation - to now find themselves being blamed for not completing forms correctly when they are all just trying to follow Government guidelines which are unclear and changing all of the time.

"Hearing a wealthy and privileged Tory Minister making frivolous comments in the Parliament in some ridiculous attempt at playground humour, the last straw for many we think.

"If this debacle does not improve very soon we are looking at many established businesses coming to the end of the line."

He warned that the issues facing his business could have far-reaching consequences for local communties which rely on the work fishing brings.

Hughson said: "With the knock on effects for all who depend on them, including the hundreds of small Fishing businesses in extremely fragile communities around our Coasts who rely on these trucks to turn up day after day, week after week to get their catch to Market.

"From seabed to plate this is not an easy business. People put their heart and soul into making it work, with ridiculously long hours.

"The blood sweat and tears poured into their operations. What else can they do but fight to make their voices heard." 

He added: "We need Government and Civil Service to step up to the plate like never before and do whatever they can to help this industry survive and get through this so that we can all benefit when things improve.

"All we want to do is roll up our sleeves and get to work supporting our communities.

"We don't have all the answers but they are out there and we need to find them."

Humza Yousaf said the image should "haunt" the Scottish Tories, adding: "Forget the Brexit lies Boris slapped on to side of a bus - here is the Brexit truth on the side of lorries from seafood and fisheries industry.

"These images should haunt the Scot Tories, your betrayal will not be forgotten."

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.

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

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”.

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”.

The National:

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.

Yesterday Dominic Raab said he was "not convinced" problems with exporting were because of the Tory Government’s trade deal with the European Union.

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

READ MORE: Dominic Raab claims Brexit chaos for fishing firms is 'just teething problems'

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

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.