The UK fishing industry has expressed deep concern over the exclusion of fisheries on the UK Government’s newly announced Food Strategy Advisory Board (FSAB).
The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation states that despite the FSAB being described as bringing together ‘senior leaders from across the food system’, there is no voice at the table for those producing one of the most sustainable, nutritious, and climate-smart foods available – wild-caught fish and shellfish.
‘As an island nation, the UK has an extraordinary resource on its doorstep. Fish and shellfish not only support the health of our population but are essential to food security, environmental sustainability, and coastal economies. The fishing sector cannot be an afterthought in a national conversation about food,’ the SFF states, pointing out that the government itself has previously acknowledged the sector’s importance, so the decision to exclude it from the FSAB is both perplexing and disappointing.
SFF Chief Executive Elspeth Macdonald has written to Minister for State, Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner MP urging the Government to revisit the composition of the Board, and to ensure that wild-caught seafood is properly represented in shaping the UK’s food strategy.
