UK seafood processing
Seafood processing is an important
industry in the UK.
Concentrated in coastal regions, it provides employment for many (often rural) communities. However, the sector is facing challenges caused by labour shortages and increased production costs.
Our processing sector
No. of
processing
sites in the UK:
353 (+0.6%)
Full-time
equivalent
jobs:
17,246 (-4%)
Top 5 regions by number of Full-time equivalent jobs
Northern Lincolnshire (including
Grimsby and Humber) – 5,348
Top regional hubs by number of sites
Northern Lincolnshire (including
Grimsby and Humber) – 48
Did you know? Seafood processing includes both primary (filleting, gutting, peeling) and secondary processing (battering, brining, smoking). In 2023, there were 100 sites dedicated to primary processing, 54 to secondary and 169 mixed.
Data notes and sources
Landings
Data Source: Marine Management Organisation.
Reference: MMO monthly landings statistics
https://www.gov.uk/government/
collections/monthly-uk-sea-fisheries-statistics
∙ A large pelagic trawler used for deep-sea fishing might weigh around 2,000 to 5,000 tonnes. So, if we take an average weight of 3,500 tonnes, 680,000 tonnes would be equivalent to the weight of around 194 large pelagic trawlers.
Fleet economic performance
Data source: Seafish
Reference: Seafish Fleet Enquiry Tool
https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/
seafish/viz/FleetEnquiryTool/1Overview
Note that 2023 performance and landings data is provisional
Aquaculture production
Data Source: Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture (CEFAS)
Reference: Data supplied directly to Seafish
Trade (Imports and Exports)
Data Source: HMRC monthly data via Business Trade Statistics (BTS), processed by Seafish.
Reference: Seafish Trade and Tariff Tool
https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/seafish/
viz/SeafishTradeandTariffTool
Overview
Note that 2023 trade data is provisional
Processing
Data source: Seafish
Reference: Seafish Processing Enquiry Tool
https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/
seafish/viz/ProcessingEnquiryTool/
Overview
Retail data
NielsenIQ ScanTrack data to 52 week ending 30/12/2023; Reference - Monthly Retail Report 52
week ending (w/e) data to 30.12.23; Link to report on MI Portal; Seafish.Org link to retail page and factsheets.
One Bird’s Eye fish finger weighs 27g and is 9 cm long. With 44,031 tonnes of fish fingers consumed in 2023, this amounts to approximately 1.63 billion fish fingers. Their combined length totals 146,770 km, which is about 3.66 times the Earth's circumference of 40,075 km.
Foodservice data
Circana data to year end December 2023; Reference - 2023 Q4 NPD Data Sheet; Link to report on
MI Portal; Seafish.Org link to foodservice page and factsheets.