A BUSINESSMAN who backed Brexit and appeared in a UKIP video says exiting the EU could see his £2m a year elver farming business go under and he regrets voting ‘Leave’.

UK Glass Eels, whose base at Over on the edge of the Forest of Dean, was part-funded by the EU, has links with Severn and Wye Smokery in Westbury-on-Severn and is supplied by elver fishermen on the Severn and in Wales.

The 40-year-old sustainable fishery business, which won funding from the European Fisheries Fund to move to its current base between Highnam and Gloucester in 2012, distributes elvers from the Severn to the likes of Germany, Sweden and Lithuania for restocking projects and sustainable aquaculture.

But new rules agreed as part of the trade deal finally agreed with the EU last week now mean they will not be able to export live glass eels through Gloucester Airport, which is not a registered Animal Border Inspection Post, putting the stock at risk through longer journeys and more delays, while tons of new paperwork could drive buyers in the EU elsewhere.

And founder and director Peter Wood, who appeared in a UKIP film talking at the fish farm to then leader Gerard Batten, has admitted he regrets backing Brexit, with his business now facing an uncertain future.

He told Sky News: “I think be careful what you wish for - I thought we were going to get a global market, this is going to be a new opportunity.

“It hasn’t turned out like that. I’d never have voted for Brexit if I knew we were going to lose our jobs.”

The firm employs around 10 people and buys elvers from Severn fisherman before exporting them to EU countries.

But with the new regulations, where before there were none, he says: “We all produce the documentation but unfortunately our customers have also got a raft of documentation to produce to allow the import to go ahead.

“So why buy from the UK? Might as well buy from another producer in France who can deliver to the door, no documentation, no problems.”

UK Glass Eels is part of The Sustainable Eel Group, and also works with Severn and Wye Smokery with their ‘Eels in Schools Programme‘, where pupils get to see glass eels in tanks.

But as part of new Brexit red tape, the business has had to produce a ‘non-detriment’ report with the Environment Agency, to assess whether the company’s fishing practices are sustainable, to try and obtain an export or import permit

Office manager Victoria Hale told Business Live last month: “We’ve had to produce our own paper which has been peer reviewed and published.

“Now we just have to wait for our fate to be decided as to whether we can export to the EU or not… Brexit might mean the end of our business.”

Millions have watched the clip of Mr Wood’s Sky News interview, which was even shared by actor Hugh Grant, who called it: “Bleak, tragic, enraging.”

Another person posted: “His biggest (and probably only) customers on his doorstep and he doesn’t foresee that making that trade more difficult would affect his business. His poor staff.”

A businessman added: “I’ve lost 100 per cent of business within the EU (60% of turnover) and have absolutely no sympathy with him.”

And another poster said: “Why would someone who sells eels primarily to Europe ever think Brexit was going to be a good idea?”

LBC radio presenter James O’Brien tweeted: “He ‘won’, of course. Even appeared in a Ukip video. Hard to feel anything but sorry for him, though. Hope his business survives.”