Cutting carbon in the seafood supply chain

What was the industry challenge? 

The UK seafood industry needs a clear, consistent and credible way to measure and understand the carbon footprints of different seafood products. 

Seafood supply chains are complex, with wild capture and farmed products moving through processing, transport, retail and foodservice routes across multiple countries. This can make carbon reporting challenging.. 

As pressure grows from retailers, consumers, regulators and investors to demonstrate progress towards net zero, seafood businesses need practical tools that help them measure product carbon footprints accurately and identify where reductions can be made.

How did Seafish and its partners respond? 

We developed a free, online tool that helps seafood businesses measure and reduce carbon footprints across wild capture and farmed seafood supply chains - the Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool (SCEPT). It was designed to provide a shared, sector-wide approach to carbon measurement, giving businesses a more consistent basis for reporting and decision-making.  

The rapid alignment and uptake by industry - driven through partnership with the UK Seafood Federation, leading processors, retailers and other supply-chain partners – means the tool has become a shared industry framework for decarbonisation.  

The Fishmongers’ Company also supported UK-wide retail-supplier engagement events, helping to raise awareness and strengthen alignment across the seafood supply chain.

What was the impact? 

Since its launch in 2024, SCEPT has become the UK seafood sector’s go-to carbon measurement platform. 

More than 150 seafood businesses across seven countries have signed up to use the tool. This includes processors representing around 70% of the UK’s chilled and frozen seafood volume, such as Sofina Young’s Seafood, New England Seafood International, Hilton Foods Group and Labeyrie Fine Foods.