DEFRA MARINE AND FISHERIES UPDATE

Defra have published their latest Marine and Fisheries Update.

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This edition covers a variety of marine and fisheries topics and we have summarised the key topics below:

The Government have launched its Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, which publicised goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, 80% by 2040 and to zero by 2050.

The strategy recognises that not all sectors have a clear pathway to decarbonisation; within the smaller vessels subsector fishing vessels, are acknowledged to be more challenging in decarbonisation and is anticipated to take longer. To help address this, two calls for evidence have been launched:

1. A call for evidence on net zero ports, to help inform the reduction of emissions at berth andunderstanding the future energy demand at ports (closes 24 June).

2. A call for evidence on decarbonising smaller vessels to aid the development of measures needed to decarbonise smaller vessels (closes 25 July).

We encourage stakeholders to participate in these consultations to help government build its evidence base, working closely with the sector to develop interventions that support decarbonisation.

Seafish Seafood Processing Survey 2025

Seafish, have launched their 2025 Seafood Processing Survey which runs from April to June.

This survey supports the industry by gathering key data on staff employment, operating costs, species processed, and turnover. It is important for industry and government to have accurate, up-to-date information on the sector to help policymakers make informed decisions while also shedding light on economic trends and business performance.

The survey will include a ten to fifteen minute phone call during which you may be asked about:

– main activities of your business

– species you process

– size and make-up of your workforce

– accounts information to supplement publicly available data

The latest reports and data, are available on the Seafood Processing Data and Insight page.

The results of the 2024 survey are available here.