UK fishing fleet’s ability to respond to challenges showcased in latest Quay Issues magazine | Seafish
News article
21 May 2020

UK fishing fleet’s ability to respond to challenges showcased in latest Quay Issues magazine

New edition of Seafish publication highlights UK fishing industry’s spirit in finding new ways to thrive.



The entrepreneurial spirit of the UK’s fishing fleet and the innovative solutions it is finding to everyday challenges are showcased in latest edition of Quay Issues magazine.

The sixth edition of the award winning annual magazine from Seafish, the public body that supports the £10bn UK seafood industry, tells the stories behind the statistics of the UK fleet survey. Spanning the country from the Cornish coast to the Orkney Islands, stories featuring in the latest issue are:

  • A Fisheries REAFitalisation – Details of a project to regenerate East Anglian fisheries which could potentially provide a blueprint for other coastal communities.
  • Waste Not, Want Not – Most end-of-life fishing gear ends up in landfill, with fishermen picking up the bill through their harbour dues, but is there a more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solution? 
  • Natural Selection – How selectivity trials in Orkney could help shellfish fishermen comply with minimum landing sizes and save time sorting their catch.
  • Carbon-Free Future? – What part can the fishing industry play in helping the UK to meet its decarbonisation goals?
  • Taking Action Now – Practical ways to improve fishing vessel fuel efficiency.
  • The Unsung Army – Exploring the vital yet often invisible role that women play in the catching sector
  • One Man and His Boat – Meet Dunbar fishermen Barry Brunton who has found an online audience for his latest business venture.
  • Beyond the Big 5 – A look at how one Plymouth business is finding markets for locally caught but less popular species.

Quay Issues is informed by Seafish’s annual survey of the UK fishing fleet with the latest edition’s stories coming from the summer 2019 survey. Normally conducted by field researchers visiting hundreds of ports across the country, Seafish is currently exploring options as to how this year’s survey can take place safely and effectively. 

Kirsten Milliken, Quay Issues Editor and Economics Project Manager at Seafish said: “We could never have predicted the current circumstances of a pandemic while we were putting together this edition of the magazine. We know how difficult things are for fishermen at the moment but we hope that the stories in the latest Quay Issues will be a heartening reminder of the fishing industry’s spirit in finding new ways to thrive. 

“Right now it’s more important than ever that we can give a full picture of the UK fishing fleet and the economic and social circumstances of those working within it. We are looking at alternative methods of data collection for this year’s fleet survey to ensure that we can continue to collate this essential information to inform both industry and government.”

Printed copies will be available as soon as distribution channels allow.

To request a printed copy, email quayissues@seafish.co.uk