Whitby Lobster Hatchery and the town’s MP are part of a call for the government to treat fishing and seafood as part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure.
Alison Hume, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, and Joe Redfern, founder of Whitby Lobster Hatchery attended the launch of a new report from the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fisheries.
Entitled, Action Plan for a Thriving and Sustainable UK Fishing Industry, it sets out 38 recommendations and asks the government to recognise fishing and seafood as a national asset which can be vital to UK food security.
The event was held at The Fishmongers’ Hall on London Bridge earlier this month.
Key points raised in the report are to set out a long-term strategy for UK fishing and the wider seafood sector; treat fishing and seafood as strategically vital to national food security; and, recognise the cumulative nature and the acute cost pressures facing the sector.
The report was prepared with input from stake-holders and consultees – including The National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations (NFFO), The Shellfish Association of Great Britain and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) – with Whitby Lobster Hatchery also taking part.
Joe said: “What the fishing industry has been lacking is some clear ambition and direction, a focus that people can clearly see. The recommendations in the report are good, welcome and hopefully something policy-makers can latch on to which is tangible.”
Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington are some of the largest shell-fishing ports in Europe and catch some of the best shell-fish in the world, yet there literally isn’t the appetite for it, says Joe.
He said: “We are trying to change that. It would be better for food security and reduced food travel miles. If all the lobster in Whitby got bought by people in Whitby and served by local restaurants, the boats here would make a lot more money.
“The way it works now is they sell to a merchant who sells to another merchant and, by the time it gets to a restaurant, the merchant has been paid three times and the fisherman has lost out.
“I was there to promote the role of hatcheries in stock enrichment, conservation, or however you want to look at it.
“They are all things which should play into a UK fisheries system and hatcheries are getting more recognition for their contribution – we are slowly changing the dial on that.”
According to the new report:
- 3,785 active vessels, supporting direct and indirect employment around our coasts.
- 745,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish landed by UK vessels in 2024, with a firstsale value of £1.16bn.
- £4.7bn is spent by UK consumers on around 410,000 tonnes of seafood.
- 3bn plus portions of seafood are eaten across the UK in a year
