Discussions have begun between the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations and the UK government on how best to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fishing industry.
The market for fish and shellfish has already been badly affected, with fears of worse to come.
An early sector to feel the consequences of the virus is the crab market, which had responded to increasing demand from China and which has now seen a dramatic fall in price. Similarly adversely affected is the frozen nephrops market where inventories were approaching capacity before the virus struck and saturation will inevitably impact on buyers’ behaviours.
Whitefish prices are softening as buyers face logistical difficulties and travel restrictions and seasonal fisheries such as cuttlefish are likely to be impacted by restrictions in Italy and France.
Workers
There are concerns about how fish processing units will continue to operate with a reduced workforce and businesses are making their own decisions on how best to mitigate impacts by, for example, arranging shorter trips, staggering and planning landings and reducing quantities landed.
At the time of writing the government has not announced a specific package to support the sector.
