Seafood in Numbers: A look into the UK seafood landscape | Seafish
News article
15 December 2023

Seafood in Numbers: A look into the UK seafood landscape

Data reveals key trends for seafood in imports, exports, fishing, processing and consumption. 



We have published our annual look at the UK seafood industry revealing how much seafood the UK caught, farmed, traded and ate in 2022.   

Seafood in Numbers 2022 uses data pulled from across our economics and insight work. It reveals:  

  • Our UK fishing fleet caught 618,759 tonnes of fish in 2022. That could provide enough seafood to feed the population of Europe two portions of seafood a week.  
  • Imports still dominate – the value of imports was nearly five times higher than the value of fish landed in the UK.  
  • Seafood eaten out of home continued to grow as the sector started to recover from Covid. Although it is still around 20% lower than pre-Covid levels.  
  • Tuna overtook salmon as the most purchased seafood species in supermarkets as consumers started to feel the cost of living pinch.

Hosted on our website, the data is presented through an interactive web experience. The user-friendly platform allows people to explore data at their own pace. We will also host a webinar in the new year to launch a new interactive web experience as we prepare to reveal the results of Seafood in Numbers 2022 research.  

UK Seafood in Numbers 2022

Seafood in Numbers is part of our broader commitment to become the centre for seafood insight and analysis in the UK.

In times of considerable change, information, analysis, and insights are useful to help orientate businesses, to inform good decision making, and to support the development of innovative solutions to tackle complex problems.

Collaboration within the seafood industry is at the heart of Seafood in Numbers. The insights from our annual surveys are a direct result of the collective effort and support of our industry stakeholders. The willingness of our industry partners to actively participate in the data gathering process has been instrumental. By working together, we have been able to compile a comprehensive picture of the UK seafood landscape.
Jennifer Robson, Head of Economics, Insight and Advice

Seafood in Numbers 2022 Webinar

To support the UK Seafood in Numbers 2022 launch, we will host a webinar the 15th January 2024 led by Jennifer Robson, alongside Economic Researcher Sheriene Murphy. The webinar will provide background on the current state of the UK seafood industry and explain our data collection process, with a sneak peek into the day of a Field Researcher surveying the fishing fleet.  

During the webinar, the team will dive into the data, identifying key trends, and discussing the practical implications of the findings for businesses and other industry stakeholders. By offering participants an opportunity to engage directly with the experts behind the data, the Seafood in Numbers webinar welcomes both new entrants to the industry and seasoned professionals looking for a deeper understanding of the latest trends.  

While Seafood in Numbers addresses a wide range of issues within the industry, we organise our data collection outputs with varying levels of detail. Stakeholders seeking a more in-depth understanding can also explore quarterly reports and factsheets on the Seafish website, offering detailed insights into specific areas of the industry.   

To register for the webinar visit the link below: