In 2003, UK fishing vessels landed around 631,000 tonnes of seafood, worth over £520 million. At that time, the industry employed 11,774 fishermen, working on 7,268 vessels.

All UK fishermen have to operate under strict management regimes. Many of the stocks around the country’s coastline are currently very healthy; for example, stocks of herring and shellfish such as langoustine. However, many of the most abundant species are exported and there is scope to increase UK consumption of them.

In recent years, new alliances have been built between government, fishermen, statutory bodies, conservationists and scientists to work towards a sustainable future for the seas around the UK. As these new partnerships develop there is scope for buyers to change their specifications, building in commitments to better conservation practices by fishermen. The Head of Environmental Responsibility at Seafish is helping the seafood industry build on this.