The Common Language Group
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.
Due to Covid-19 we are running shorter online bite-size CLG meetings in 2020 and 2021.
Next meeting
The next meeting will be on 19 May 2021 from 2pm to 3.30pm. For further information, please contact: Karen Green
Previous two bite-size meetings
The challenges Brexit has created for the seafood industry (24 February 2021). The Fisheries Act 2020 received Royal Assent in November 2020, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) came into force on 31 December 2020. Both pieces of legislation are significant and have changed the way we fish and how we trade and work with the EU. This meeting explained the main changes, and the implications and challenges for fishing and the wider seafood supply chain. See the presentations:
- Overview of the TCA, negotiations and prospects for the next five years. Nigel Gooding, Deputy Director – EU Fisheries Policy and Negotiations, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
- Fishing and quota implications. Suzannah Walmsley, ABPmer
- Post Brexit trade and the UK Seafood Industry Alliance. Mike Short, Provision Trade Federation.
Fish stock status in the North East Atlantic (9 December 2020). The 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 two initiatives helping to support the sector. See the presentations:
- Demersal fish stock status in the North East Atlantic. Ewen Bell, Cefas.
- Pelagic stock status in the North East Atlantic. Steve Mackinson, Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association.
- Progress of the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group. Tom Pickerell, NAPA.
- The cross-industry cod group/upcoming North Sea cod benchmark meeting. Kenny Coull, Scottish White Fish Producers Association.
Terms of Reference and archive
- We have archived presentations from previous CLG bite-size meetings. These are these are available from Karen Green.
- Notes and minutes on the bite-size meetings can be found below.
- Presentations from our face-to-face CLG meetings are available from Karen Green
- View The Common Language Group Terms of Reference (March 2019)
- Subscribe to receive our monthly update and meeting details
CLG bite-size meeting notes
CLG monthly newsletters
Contacts
For further information, please contact: Karen Green