Time to shape a positive future for seafood — Seafish
Blog article
08 October 2019

Time to shape a positive future for seafood

Our CEO Marcus Coleman reflects on the need for the seafood industry to look forward and respond to changes as the 2019 UK Seafood Summit approaches.

Abraham Lincoln once said “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Here at Seafish, we’re committed to supporting all sectors within the UK seafood value-chain as they grapple with the many challenges of today, while also attempting to shape their future.

All of us working in the industry are only too aware of just how dynamic and unpredictable it can be. Global markets can change suddenly, public perception is crucial and can shift in an instant, innovation creates potential but can be challenging to scale up.

The UK seafood industry is worth in the region of £10bn every year. It leads the world in the responsible and sustainable way in which it sources its raw material, how it cares for and develops its workforce and how it meets consumer demands for innovative and diverse seafood products. There’s a great deal to be rightly proud of.

That said, in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, there’s no room for complacency;

  • Countries that were known for primary production are gearing up for more integrated processing operations and driving more value at home;
  • Countries with rapid demographic change are striving to meet their domestic need for food and turning away from exports;
  • Some countries are driving aggressive policies around environmental protection and animal welfare.
  • And all this at a time when the UK is set to break away from the European Union – the biggest market for UK Seafood products.

Standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards in a rapidly changing world. For sure.

For the UK Seafood Summit on 16 and 17 October 2019, we’re aiming to provide the UK seafood supply chain and our government and NGO stakeholders with the space and inspiration to maintain and accelerate their thinking about the future. The theme for the event is ‘The Responsible Seafood Economy: Looking Forward – Responding to Change’ and it has three key area of focus:

  • Demand: The shifting interests of consumers
  • Supply: Explore the changing nature of seafood sourcing
  • Operations: Innovation in technology and evolution of the workforce

We’ve brought together a diverse and exciting lineup of speakers, from home and abroad, to offer a range of perspectives on these topics and provoke the debate. We’re also looking to enhance the conference experience for delegates with the use of interactive engagement tools, meaning that voices can be heard not only from the floor of the conference itself but also from those watching the live feed online – a Seafish first!

Alongside the technological innovations we’ll also be serving up a first class traditional seafood fayre at the end of Day One – making it arguably the best tasting networking event in the UK seafood calendar.

I look forward to welcoming everyone to the 2019 UK Seafood Summit. There are still a few tickets available so do join us there if you can, or tune in to catch the live feed and watch the presentations online.

Further info

Find out more about the 2019 UK Seafood Summit