Brixham Fish Market has had a record-breaking year of sales with 2022 seeing the UK market trade £60.8 million in fish sales.
This new record is £16.5 million higher than in 2021 – its previous record-breaking year when sales reached £43.5 million.
“Brixham Fish Market’s second year of record-breaking sales reflects the hard work and resilience of all those involved in the fishing industry. With over 60% of fish landed in Brixham being exported to the EU, Brixham’s fish market is a great success and shows there is an optimistic and bright future ahead for the UK’s fishing sector,” said Anthony Mangnall MP for Totnes and South Devon.
Brixham is the most valuable fishing port in England and Wales, with its fish continuing to command high prices last year due to high demand and the market’s online cloud-based auctions proving a great success.
However, Brixham Trawler Agents (BTA) has reiterated the need for the fish market to expand, with the current space not being adequate for the growing market.
The company is therefore hopeful that Brixham’s Levelling Up Fund application called “Fish and Chips” will be successful, allowing the fishing community to develop key maritime infrastructure and help to create more local jobs.
“A year like this is good for the whole area. The fishermen are earning the wages and spending them in Torbay and the surrounding area, while Torbay Council has done well out of its percentage of landing dues,” said BTA Managing Director Barry Young.
“This £60.8 million isn’t just going to BTA. It is turnover through the market and we need to be reinvesting. We need to remember that the reason why the boats are coming here from all around the country is because of the investments we make in infrastructure.
“The biggest issue we face is space. With the additional volumes of fish, Brixham has outgrown the market that was built in 2011 when the values of fish landed were approaching £20 million. Hopefully, Torbay Council’s application for levelling up funding will be successful, and another market building can be built, allowing the expansion to go ahead and make sure safe working conditions are met for all harbour users.”
It is also hoped that a new Fisher Apprenticeship offered by South Devon College in Paignton will help encourage more people into the industry. This apprenticeship has been developed in collaboration with fish producer employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeship and Technical Education and Seafish, a public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Fisher apprentices will study at the recently-opened South Devon College Marine Academy, a state-of-the-art facility based at Premier Marina’s new £75 million Noss-on-Dart Marina.
Mangnall added, “I am hopeful that 2023 will prove to be another record-breaking year for the fish market as well as the maritime businesses that support the sector. South Devon is home not only to England and Wales’s most valuable fishing port, but also a new Marine Academy at South Devon College which aims to help the next generation of fishermen acquire the skills they need. Coupled with a strong levelling up fund bid for expansion of the port, there is a strong future for the town and surrounding community.”
