Seafish delivering against priorities for UK seafood

Last year, the organisation committed to a five-year corporate plan informed by feedback received from the seafood industry during a strategic review. The plan sets out seven industry priorities: Ensuring a safe and skilled workforce, facilitating and promoting international trade, responding to the climate change emergency, improving fisheries management, enabling supply chain resilience, improving data, insight, and innovation and championing industry reputation.

Its accomplishments to-date include:

• The publication of Skilled Worker Visa guides to help the seafood industry navigate the legalities around the employment of migrant workers
• Safety and skills have been improved with almost 6,000 training places delivered while seafood businesses occupied 43 exhibition spaces at four international trade shows
• Seafood businesses have been given advice around import charges, plastic packaging tax and extended producer responsibilities
• Businesses can also now access a carbon emissions profiling tool to help the sector meet net-zero targets
• Since leaving the EU, the seafood industry has had to adapt to changes in legislation with Seafish, along with DEFRA and the MMO working with 350 fishermen on fisheries management plans
• Codes of practice have been developed with the shellfish industry on animal welfare commitments
• An evidence-based response following misinformation being circulated about scampi has been developed

Seafish has also published its latest annual plan setting out what it intends to deliver in the 2024 to 2025 financial year.

“Ahead of our corporate plan being developed, the seafood industry gave us clear feedback on where you felt our assistance was needed most,” Seafish CEO Marcus Coleman said.

“By working closely with industry and wider stakeholders over the past year, we’ve been able deliver outputs with real impacts. This has included practical tools and resources, guidance and training, and opportunities for UK seafood businesses to promote their products to key international markets. We know there’s still more work to do to help our UK seafood industry thrive and we’re already underway with delivery of activities in our Annual Plan for 2024 to 2025.”

Coleman also explained that delivering across the seven priorities isn’t possible without the levy through which Seafish is funded. It is currently consulting on proposed changes to that levy system.

Three levy related webinars have been organised by Seafish. These will be held on 16 July, 19 July and 26 July 2024.