As an island surrounded by some of the most productive seas in the North East Atlantic, fishing has long formed the lifeblood of coastal communities in the UK – offering livelihoods at sea and onshore, contributing to local economies and culture, and providing healthy food for populations. Over the past five decades, the context within which the fishing industry operates has changed dramatically. In response, the industry has worked to evolve and meet sustainability objectives in support of future, thriving fisheries. Social sustainability, alongside ecological sustainability, is a key issue for the sector.

Top of that agenda, recruitment and retention have been cited as major challenges facing the UK fishing industry, as well as the wider seafood sector. Impacting the sector’s sustainability, these issues also have implications for the social resilience of fishing and coastal communities. With a greying fleet, the number of UK fishers has fallen by 1,700 over the past decade. Traditional training and recruitment pathways – from father to son; deckhand to skipper – are broken in many places. Unattractive or unavailable to new-entrants, entry to the sector is costly, training opportunities limited, and opportunities elsewhere seen as more attractive. The issue is felt along the length of the supply chain.

In this context, as with other sectors in the economy, the seafood sector has become increasingly reliant on labour from outside of the UK. However, concerns have arisen about the conditions faced by migrant workers and the risk of exploitation facing those who come to the UK to work. Efforts have been made by industry to address these concerns, and ensure the welfare of crews. At the same time, legislative measures relating to migrant workers have been deemed inappropriate by both industry representatives, and civil society organisations, with problems relating to skilled worker visas, alongside the use of transit visas, highlighted by both. Reputational damage to the industry has a reverberating effect on the industry’s attractiveness to new entrants at home.

With the Employment Rights Bill currently before Parliament and issues surrounding recruitment and retention to the industry set as a backdrop, this event will focus on the challenges surrounding labour facing both the catching and processing sectors. Providing an opportunity for constructive dialogue on these cross-cutting challenges and building on past dialogue, we will hear of recent efforts to address these issues, alongside measures needed from industry, civil society and government to chart a way forward that is attuned to the practicalities of fishing, and at the same time affords adequate rights and protections for all fishers, whilst also ensuring fishing is an attractive career prospect for workers both within and beyond the UK.

View the agenda here.

Contribute to the discussion on X and LinkedIn using #Fishinglivelihoods, or find out more on the APPG on Fisheries website.

Contact the host of Recruitment and Labour in UK Fishing and Seafood