Reflecting on a year of progress and looking ahead to 2025/26
We’re highlighting the progress made over the past year in supporting the UK seafood industry, including providing resources to reduce carbon emissions, improving safety at sea, and facilitating international trade.
As well as reflecting on this work, we’re also outlining priorities for the next year as part of its 2025/26 annual plan.
One achievement highlighted in the review of 2024/25 is the launch of the Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool (SCEPT), a platform that has already seen over 100 businesses sign up to help reduce their carbon emissions as part of our efforts to promote environmental responsibility within the seafood industry.
Another is the rollout of the Seafood for Life industry reputation campaign which offers seafood businesses an opportunity to share their success stories, highlight their positive contributions to the industry and boost public perceptions about seafood.
This project has already helped highlight the industry’s commitment to innovation and providing high-quality and healthy seafood products, employment and other benefits.
We also play a vital role in supporting the safety and wellbeing of the UK’s fishing community.
Through Man Overboard training sessions, which were hosted across the UK, we enabled around 6000 fishermen to undergo vital life-saving training to help reduce risk and enhance the safety of those who work at sea.
Pride at ‘tremendous progress’
CEO Marcus Coleman expressed his pride at the work done throughout the past year, saying:
2024/25 has been a year of tremendous progress for Seafish.
We've launched initiatives and provided training and resources that are making a real difference — from tackling carbon emissions to helping our fishermen stay safe at sea.
As we move into the start of a new annual plan, Seafish is again looking forward to working closely with the seafood industry and seeing what we can achieve together.
Other highlights across a busy 2024/25 were the showcasing of UK seafood at international trade expos in Barcelona, Japan and China, with 49 businesses using pavilions supported by Seafish and Government partners.
We supported businesses across the seafood supply chain to progress stakeholder-led Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) for Nephrops and king scallops while also helping shine a light on the seafood industry in the north-west of England through a campaign focused on the thornback ray.
More than 900 fishing, aquaculture and processing business owners were also surveyed to gather data to support policy and business decisions.
Looking ahead to 2025/26
Looking forward, we will continue to focus on our seven seafood industry priority areas as part of the 2025/26 annual plan.
The priority areas are: Workforce, safety, careers and training; Seafood trade and regulation; Climate change; Fisheries management; Supply chain resilience Industry data, insight and innovation and Seafood industry reputation.
The work within these areas will include:
- Ensuring a safe and skilled workforce:
- Goals: Support seafood businesses in addressing labour shortages, improve worker welfare, human rights, and safety. Deliver training programs including Kingfisher safety programs, promote fishing safety, and provide research on labour issues.
- Facilitating and promoting international trade:
- Goals: Help UK businesses navigate changing international trade, particularly with the EU, and monitor regulatory changes. Advise on legislation, facilitate imports/exports, support international trade shows and provide trade analysis.
- Responding to the climate change emergency:
- Goals: Promote sustainable seafood practices, reduce carbon emissions and help the seafood industry transition to net-zero. Facilitate climate change discussions and advise on reducing emissions and adapting to climate change by implementing the SCEPT.
- Fisheries management:
- Goals: Achieve sustainable fisheries management with scientific support and stakeholder collaboration. Support Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs), engage in industry advisory groups, improve fisheries management through research and promote selective fishing gear.
- Enabling supply chain resilience:
- Goals: Ensure seafood businesses can adapt to challenges and uncertainties in the supply chain. Address shellfish aquaculture issues, provide analysis of supply chain challenges and support sustainable shellfish practices.
- Improving data, insight, and innovation:
- Goals: Enhance data collection, research, and innovation to drive the seafood sector forward. Maintain industry data, provide market insights, collaborate on research and offer mapping and analysis for better decision-making.
- Championing industry reputation:
- Goals: Improve the reputation of the seafood industry by sharing positive stories and addressing misinformation. Share insights through the Seafood for Life initiative, manage reputational risks.