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The Common Language Group

A group to bring together people who want to know more about the environmental, legal and production issues facing the UK seafood supply chain.

The Common Language Group (CLG) provides a safe meeting space to discuss the key issues facing a responsible seafood supply chain. The topics covered include fisheries management, legal fishing, fishing methods and how to trace and track seafood along the supply chain. It also covers how seafood is bought and eaten in and out of the home. It is an opportunity to share new ideas or case studies from around the world.

The group is led by our industry and we take responsibility for running the CLG. The Group has met three times a year since 2007. The CLG brings together people who represent the retail, processing, food service and restaurant industry. Other people who attend are not-for-profit voluntary groups, consumer groups, governments, scientists and producer organisations.

CLG meetings and bite-size meetings

There are generally three meetings a year. The presentations and minutes from the most recent meetings are below. Presentations and minutes from previous meetings are available from Karen Green.

We are running a mix of in person meetings and shorter online bite-size CLG sessions at the moment.

Next meeting

The next meeting will be an an online bite-size session in late February 2023. For further information, please contact: Karen Green

Previous two meetings

Fish stock status in the Northeast Atlantic (5 December 2022). Every year the European Commission asks the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) to draw up a report on the health status of fish populations in Europe. The 2022 report confirms the trends observed in the Atlantic over the past 20 years: decreasing overfishing and increasing abundance. In the northeast Atlantic zone, 72% of fish populations are not overexploited. Fish biomass has been climbing since 2007 and is 33% higher in 2020 than at the beginning of the 2000s for the best-tracked populations. It is 50% higher on average for other populations subject to less tracking. This meeting looked at the latest advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) on the key commercial species for the UK supply chain, and provided an update on a key initiative helping to support the pelagic sector. See the presentations:

CLG in person meeting. Current challenges and future opportunities for seafood (13 September 2022). The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had significant implications for the UK seafood supply chain. This meeting looked at the challenges facing the industry as a result of the ongoing impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the introduction of tariffs; as well as focussing on the challenge of increasing inflation, and the specific issues facing the finfish and shellfish sectors. The afternoon session looked at future opportunities for the UK catching sector, covering Government priorities and how funding is supporting innovative approaches to increase efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. See the presentations:

CLG meeting notes

Notes and minutes from recent CLG bite-size and in person meetings can be viewed by following the links below.

CLG monthly newsletters

We send monthly emails with a round up of stories, research and projects in the seafood industry. Subscribe to receive our monthly update and meeting details.

Terms of Reference and archive

Contacts

For further information, please contact: Karen Green

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