Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome to seafred Matters. Thank you for
joining us again. My guest today is Colin Faulkner, the
new chief executive of Seafish. Hello Colin, and welcome to
Seafood Matters.
Speaker 2: Hi Jim, Thanks thanks for having me on. Delighted to
be here.
Speaker 3: Thank you great. I'd just like to start this to
say no but a wee chat about the Seafish. But
I have a lengthy relationship with Seafish Good back decades.
I've been involved in various projects. I've arranged delegations to
the Pharoe Islands back in the eighties and nineties and
a lot of business out there and we put groups
over there. Around the millennium, we renovate and an old
historic build up here and turned it into seafood restaurant.
We opened in two thousand and two. Good On two
thousand and six we were down at the function in
London and award ceremony was at Seafish. Yes, I was
nominated the UK Seafood Chef of the Year.
Speaker 2: Oh fantastic, well done.
Speaker 3: And the following year we were back down and the
restaurant got the Seafood Restaurant of the Year, going well,
I'm delighted to chat today. I got a close relationship
with Seafish.
Speaker 2: Well, I'm delighted to hear you were successful, Jim.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Thank you Colin. For our listeners who may
not know your background, can you tell us about your
career journey and what attracted you two Chief execus kit
of Rule at Seafish.
Speaker 2: Sure, no, I'm very happy to look. So I've been
with Seafish since January this year, and then before that
I worked I suppose most of my career is really
as a kind of career civil servant. I suppose most
of it, but not all of it. So before this job,
I worked INDRA in the UK government in London here
where where I'm based, and I was head of International
Fisheries on Seafood Trade for DEFRA for gosh, over seven
years in the end, through the Brexit periods and through
the whole period of kind of getting ourselves established as
an independent coastal state in the UK, which was just
the most incredible experience and privilege to have really. But
before that then I twenty fifteen to twenty eighteen I
worked for the Green and Vestment Bank and then they
were bought over by a company, Australian company called Macquarie
who have lots of Scottish links as well. Actually worked
for GiB and mcquariye for back to three and a
half years as head of Government affairs for them, and
before that I worked in Scottish Government's Cabinet Office Scotland
Office in the UK Government, so works kind of a
whole variety of rules across Scottish government in the UK
Government for a very long time. Despite the fact that
a lot of my rules in my career have involved Scotland,
I'm not Scottish. I grew up in Northern Ireland. I'm
very prior to have done so, but for I don't know,
perhaps by accident rather than by design, a huge number
of rules I've done have involved contact with Scotland. I've
spent a well, I've lived there for fifteen sixteen years
of my life before I moved to London. So yeah,
so kind of career cyvil servant, but delighted to be
at Seafish and I and you know, I was really
keen to join Seafish. I wanted to stay around on
the seafood sector. Fascinating sector to work in. As you know,
Jim really interesting sector. Seafish has got a great history
to it, not least giving awards to all sorts of
deserving people like yourself. But you know, Seafish has got
a great history. You know, it does a lot of good,
and it does a lot of good and all sorts
of parts of the UK, and I wanted to be
part of that. So yeah, I've been here since January.
I'm really enjoying it.
Speaker 3: It's great. I absolutely support Seafish. I think it's a
great organization and I've been spent if the number of
six months or so you've been in the position. Yeah,
has anything surprised you about the UK seafood industry since
you've been it closer at hand?
Speaker 2: So what surprised me about it? I think, well, I've
been involved in fisheries and the seafood industry for a
long time in the UK, sort of spent about ten
years of my time in government working and fisheries over
different rules, So I do know the sector reasonably well.
But I suppose what surprises me is always the kind
of the infinite variety of what happens within the sector,
and you know, and the infinite variety of activities around
the UK you know, the seafood industry and the seafood
industries plural look very different obviously in the Southwest of
England from how they look in humber Side, from how
they look and kill Keel and from how they look
in Scrabster. So and it's one of the things that
really that I really enjoy is the kind of infinite
variety of the seafood sectors. But also then the you know,
the incredible adaptability of the sectors to you know, the
supply chain to all sorts of change, you know, and
I'm maybe surprised, isn't the right way of putting it,
but it's you know, I'm always in awe of the
way that the sector is able to adapt to whatever
latest difficulty or challenge falls in front of them. You know,
when I joined Seafish in January, no one was talking
about fuel prices in January. Yeah, you know, and that's
been a really you know, all things Middle East and
Iran have been you know, a really big challenge for
the sector in the last few months obviously, But it's
you know, it's amazing watching how versatile and adaptable the
sectors are when it comes to adapting to those really
big existential challenges, so maybe it's a bit more in
awe of rather than surprised by, if you see what
I mean.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and did you arrive with see Fish with priorities?
Speaker 2: So well, yes, you know, I suppose my priority is
making sure that Seafish can make the maximum contribution it
can to the health of the seafood industries across the UK.
You know, that's that's I suppose that's been my priority
from day one and will continue to be the priority.
And uh, you know, breaking that down then you know,
my priorities to run an organization that people enjoy working
for and find find a fulfilling place to work in
their own careers, you know, to to run an organization
that people uh feel attached to when they're working in it,
that they feel that that they feel they're getting career
satisfaction out of their day to day life when they're
working in it. And then on top of that, to
run an organization, as I say that that actually does
have an impact on the ground and you know, mix
makes the seafood industries across the UK for a place
to be and and and also want you know, an
organization that understands that infinite variety of businesses that are
involved in the supply chain from you know, whether it's
potters and creelers and whatever else in the catch you know,
and then in the broader catching sector right through to
the food service sector. You know, that's it's kind of
an infinite variety of businesses. So making sure that Seafish
is really responsive to the needs of the sector. I
have to stop calling it the sector because that implies
that it's all just one one big monolith and the
all businesses are exactly the same. So, you know, the
priority for me is being really clear that this is
an incredibly complex and infinitely interesting set of businesses who
work right across the supply.
Speaker 3: Chain, but they all need each other.
Speaker 2: They do exactly. You know, there's a really so there's
that awful phrase ecosystem that we use, you know, business
ecosystem out there. It's a bit of a cliche, but
you know what it is like. You know that that
business ecosystem does resemble the kind of you know, a
natural ecosystem where you know of codependence and you know,
you we we won't have a thriving you kin't have
a thriving processing sector in the UK without a Uh,
you know, a thriving retail sector and a thriving food
service sector and a thriving catching sector, they're all mutually dependent. Yeah,
it's a fascinating sector to see.
Speaker 3: Have you discovered any misconceptions about Seafish since taking on
the road.
Speaker 2: About Seafish misconceptions? Well, look, look, Seafish always has a
you occupies a checking possession because you know, ultimately we
are funded by a levy from a whole variety of organzations.
No one likes paying tax in life. I don't like
paying it. Most people don't like paying tax, so I
can understand why. You know, there's sometimes a view that
a business pays a levee but they don't get as
much back in return for it as they would like.
I can completely get that, and I think, coming back
to priorities, one of my priorities is to for as
long as I'm in this role, is to make sure
that we are telling our story really really coherently, telling
our story really co gently, so that our levey payers
and the wider sector really do understand why and understand
the ways in which they're getting value from money from
the organization. And as I say, no one likes paying tax,
but you need to be able to understand what you're
getting back in return for it. So it's our job
in the organization to help dispel those myths or dispel
those misconceptions and to help our levee payers in the
wider sector understand and see how we're delivering impact. And
that's you know that responsibilities on us to make to
bring that out and to make that coherent.
Speaker 3: Okay, yeah, And have you learned much from fisherman, processors
and merchants and people and retailers another stakeholders since in
the UK.
Speaker 2: Every day of the week, to be honest, Jim, Yeah,
you know, so, like I thinking out loud, I was
done in Cornwall for a couple of days last week.
And you know, one of the most fun things to do,
and well one of the most fun things to do
in my job is that I get the opportunity to
be in about you know, the length and breadth of
the UK, you know, really really often and you know,
it's fascinating even just spending an hour doing you know,
a walk around Madgacy Harbor, you know, on the harbor wall,
just talking to people about their business, about how the
fishery is changing. You know. Again, it's not that long
ago that no one talked about octopus, and if you're
in americacy, you know, it's all anyone wants to talk about.
But yeah, you know, beverly reasonably because of the kind
of change that that's bringing. So look, one of the
things I love in this job is the opportunity to
be out on abuite learning from either the catching sector
if I'm in medicacy, or Newland or Scallaway or kill
Keel or wherever else. But also then I mean Grimsby
on Monday actually, and you know, understanding the frozen at
sea sector is probably a sector I'm not as well
up to speed on. I'm you know, really looking forward
to meeting them on Monday because I know I will
learn so so much about that sector of the economy
from them and Grimsby. It's one of the real lucky things,
you know. I do find myself very lucky that I
get to get out in a bite, as you say,
the length and breadth of the country and meet fascinating
passionate people. Yeah, are just really passionate about their jobs.
That's what makes it, as I say, infinitely interesting to me.
Speaker 3: And with the change what Steve Fish has gone through.
How did you describe the organization you've inherited.
Speaker 2: Look, I think it's actually, I honestly think it's in
good shape. Let's be honest. You know it isn't good shape. Yes,
of course, it's a smaller organization than what many people
maybe remember back, you know, and then the nineteen eighties,
nineteen nineties and so on. Yeah, of course, it's just
a smaller organization. That's why, you know, we have to
spend our liey wisely. We have to focus our activities
really carefully. We can't do everything we you know, we
don't have We have neither the funds nor the expertise
to do everything anyway. So you know, what I want
to do is make sure that we're focusing our efforts
on where we can get the biggest bang for our buck.
But look, I think the organization is in good shape.
It's got real, real deep deep wells of expertise in
the organization. And as ever, you know, as I say,
I keep using the P word for passion, but you know,
with really passionate people who enjoy working in the sector
have worked at many kisses all their lives. Talking to
someone this morning. Who's been with seafish. I think she
said forty forty three years. So you know, it's an
organization that people feel very attached to, that people really
enjoy working for. And that's you know, that's a great sign.
Speaker 3: And would you be happy to reassure industry stakeholders about
Seafish's future direction.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, you know, I think it's got a really
strong contribution to make to whether it's the processing sector,
the catching sector, the retailing, the food service action. You know,
you know, and when you look at the types of
activities that we do, you know, we're I suppose the
most common activity that say skippers would see would be
our work on safety and you know, and you know safety,
We know it's a dangerous industry, and you know, we
carry on doing really really important work in the in
the safety and then the training sphere in right across
the you know, the training and the food service sector,
helping the industry navigate all the the really existential problems
that exist in at the moment, around labor supply, around
getting the right skills. Then you know, we get into
trade promotion, export promotion, helping businesses navigate their way through
really really tucky regulatory a really chuck chucky regulatory landscape
at the moment. Look, there's there's a long long list,
and I don't want to but you know, Seafish is
has has got a really important role to play. Obviously,
we need to adapt that role to what industry are
telling us. We need to adapt that role to what
industry wants us to be doing, and we can add
the maximum impact. But yeah, I think, unless you've heard otherwise, Jim,
I'm very happy with the future of Seafish. But I
don't know, maybe I've missed something. I am.
Speaker 4: I absolve one of the things if I was asked
that question, which and then and around the way you've
maybe asked me, I would be the first thing I
would say, Colin would be Seafish have respect in the industry.
Speaker 3: I know that the.
Speaker 2: Perspect did good.
Speaker 3: I'm trusted. I know that from.
Speaker 2: Well, like you know, I'm delighted to hear that. You know, when,
as I say, when I before I joined Seafish and
when I was working on DAFRA, you know, I worked
a bit with Seafish during that time and you know,
you again, one of the reasons why I wanted to
join the organization. You could see that the organization had
real strengths. You know, it's such such expertise within its
you know, really deep wells of expertise, deep attachment to
the sector as well, you know, a real strong desire
for the sector to thrive. Uh not not not just
as an organization, but the individuals within it had that
real attachment and desire to see the industry thrive. So
not delighted to hear what you say.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And would you say, would you feel since you're joined,
there's any parts that you're pretty faith are successful and
you should strengthen, you feel you feel you'd like to strengthen.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So, like I suppose that one thing I would
highlight is, you know, Seafish is always, I suppose, in
many ways well known for the kind of analytical work
that it does, you know, around trade data, around economic
analysis that you know, carried out the fleet survey and
processing survey every you know, every year from many years now.
But you know, I would really really want Seafish to
be a kind of go to organization for anyone wanting
to understand the seafood sector, you know from just from
a from an analytical point of view and from a
data point of view, and you know, I do. I
think Seafish has a really strong offer on that front already,
but it's something that I certainly want to see us
doing more of of and really helping tell the story
about seafood based on really strong data, based on really
strong analysis. So that's one area I think there's also
a huge amount we can do and where where where
we will need to do more on kind of let's
let's loosely call it, kind of navigating all that all
the the difficult regulatory landscape that businesses face in the
seafood world. You know, we we we know there's a
lot going on on the UK EU trading relationship. We're expecting,
you know, a new kind of settlement with the EU,
and well who quite sure when, depending on what happens
with changes of prime ministers and so on. But you know,
we we and Seafish as and when that new trading
arrangement is reached, we will need to make sure that
we are resourced properly to help our levy payers and
the industry more broadly to take the benefit of any
of those changes to the trading relationship with the EU.
So you know, again another area where we need to
be at the top of our game and where I
want us to want to see us doing much more.
So you know, that's that's just two areas where I think,
you know, there's there's a lot more opportunity for us
to do work. But I think just coming back to
the point about you know, listening to what industry wants.
You know, we we we know as well that you know,
there are really big existential challenges out there for for
this sector. You know, spatial squeeze as we know is
and you know literally existential for for some businesses labor
supply and skills shortages and so on. So you know,
likewise and you know, to me, those are two areas
where I really want Seefish to be playing its part
in finding solutions on spatial squeeze. You know, we've got
huge amounts of data as an organization, which is incredibly
how helpful to POS and others make their case when
it comes to fighting their corner on spatial squeeze issues.
You know, we need to work really closely with to say,
POS and all sorts of representative bodies to help them
make their kiss and the issues around spatial squeeze similarly
on skills and labor. You know, that's again as existential
for many on the sector. So you know, there's there's
a lot of work where we can genuine there's a
lot of topics where we can genuinely add value.
Speaker 3: Yeah, very good. And then you and your plan focuses
on maneus priorities. Why were they chosen that are given priorities?
Speaker 2: Yeah, So I suppose it's a combination of factors, Jim.
The two main factors are do we have expertise on
those issues and are they important to are those issues
important to this sectors? And it's it's it's it's really
a combination of those two issues. So you know, we've
where the annual Plan talks about us focusing on three
main areas of work or three outcomes that we want
to help bring about. Uh, you know, a kind of
a safe and skilled workforce, you know, uh, freer trade
in the night of the country and seafood and more
resilient supply chain. You know, that's in many ways our
USP as an organization. It's where we have expertise already,
but we you know, we want to bring sharper focus
to our outcomes and to our priorities. So yeah, it's
it's a combination of are these issues that matter to
the to to our levee pairers, and are they issues
where we have expertise and where we can add value and.
Speaker 3: How did the see if fish arrive at these priorities
where the industry consulted.
Speaker 2: Yes, so it's it's a bit of both a little
bit of you know, where what is our offer and
how do we what are we able to do and
then mexic kind of combining that with feedback from industry.
So you know, certainly since I've joined in January, we've
been talking a lot to industry about the issues they
want us to focus on. You might know that we've
got various mechanisms internally for doing that. We've got what
we call sector panels. We've got advisory committees around the UK.
We've been talking to them and kind of road testing
these types of priorities. So we haven't carried out a
kind of formal consultation in the sense that you know,
a government, you know, when we're not governments, so we're
you know, we we haven't carried out a formal consultation
in that sense, but you know, we've done a lot
of listening and listening to our colleagues and as you say,
through SECHA panels, the advisory committees and other conversations to
help us make sure that we're setting things out in
a way that is understandable, it's coherent, and going to
actually have some impact.
Speaker 3: Will you think the average fishermen process errors, anybody in
the seafood business will notice a difference.
Speaker 2: Look, I suspect, but most fishermen just want to get
on with fishing, I suppose, and they're probably not too
interested in and you know, bureaucratic bodies. But look, I
hope I hope they will. You know what will they notice?
You know? One of the things that we are I
think really strong and is that offer on on safety,
on training courses, as I say, to to help make
the industry a safer place. So I really hope that
an average fisherman Obviously no fishermen are average, obviously they're
all excellent, but you know, any fishermen, I really hope
we'll see the benefit that seafish can bring through our
offer on the safety front. Processing sector, you know, we
work really closely with processing sector in all its guises
on be IT regulations, you know, I know there's a
huge issue at the moment around packaging regulations and extended
producer responsibility and so on, huge issues around energy costs
that they obviously face, around the regulatory environment for imports
and exports, you know, and to name but three. Those
are all areas where we work with processors and where
we can add value and all be more than the
some of our parts. So look, I hope that will
see a kind of sharper focus. But you know, time
will tell, and I'll look forward to hearing from them
if they are if they're not.
Speaker 3: Yeah, indeed, and who a series of problems is Seafish
see things like recruitment.
Speaker 2: So Jim said that again, I asked that question.
Speaker 3: I'm just asking how Seafish view the prospective, what their
perspective is on problems like recruitment.
Speaker 2: Obviously, you know, it's recruitment into the sector and either
getting people through the door in the first place, or
or then keeping them once they've come through the door.
There's a huge, huge challenge, and you know, it looks
very different according to which bit of the supply chain
you're in. Look, I think there's a variety of ways
in which we can help. So we, for example, do
a lot of work with governments to help them understand
the implications of their skills policies, to help them understand
the implications of immigration policy changes in the UK, which
you know have had really significant impact on the particularly
recruitment of overseas labor. So you know, we can help
governments understand the impact of what they're doing and make
sure that they've got the right evidence in front of
them when they're making decisions. We can help businesses as well.
There are many businesses that do a very good job
on this front and don't need much help from us,
but you know, there are also others where we can
help them access either the labor supply the need or
help them scale up their workforce to be able to
adapt those staff to different challenges within their companies. But
at the same time, you know, I think it's really
important remember that, you know, I see a lot of
examples of you know, really forward thinking companies who who
are you know, who have invested in in their in
their crew and invested in their staff year after year
after year, and you know, and who actually are doing
a really good job but either recruiting staff or maintaining
the crew or the staff that they have, and obviously
that that's that's not an easy thing to do, but
there are incredible examples out there of where where that works. Similarly,
if you go to Shtland, you know, always a great
place of a great place to visit, you know, primarily
locally based crew in Shetland, you know, a reasonable throughput
of new entrance coming in. So it's it's not all
you know, it's it's a nuanced picture across the UK
and across the sectors.
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, other Shetland there's a good example of its.
Speaker 2: Fine, a very fine place, indeed.
Speaker 3: Absolutely totally. Yeah. And is there any part of it
to help in that cract younger people?
Speaker 2: Well indeed yes. Look, you know I often think that
if you're I don't know, sixteen seventeen, you know, what
more exciting sector could you join than the fishing sector?
You know, I'm not the kind of the autonomy you
have over your life without, you know, setting in front
of a desk all day, setting in front of a
laptop at a desk all day, and you know the
kind of thing I do all day. You know, it's
far more interesting and far more exciting and fun to
be on a fishing boat many days of the year,
maybe not every day of the year. To you know,
it's not a walk in the park every day, but
you know, what a fantastic career to take on, you know,
what a challenge to take on. So look, I'm completely
in awe of anyone who joins the fishing industry, and
you know, I'm always in awe of the amount of
passion that they show for the sector. So you know,
you could, I could only encourage anyone to see that
there are all sorts of careers across the seafood sector,
whether it's catching, whether it's processing, whether it's in the
service sector. You know, there are an infinite number of
careers out there. You know, if you go to Grimsby
and you see some of the seafood processors, when you
see some of the factories there, you know it's it's
it's advanced manufacturing and it's it's advanced engineering you're talking about.
So you know, that's that's a very different proposition from uh,
you know, from the catching sector. So you know that
there is an incredible variety of careers out there for
any young person who wants to join the seafood sector.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and from the safety say this it's approved over
the years, but thankfully, yeah, fatalities and cities accidents still.
Speaker 2: It's yeah, they a last they do. You know, one
of the campaigns that we run every year, you know,
the home and Dry campaign. You know, it's you know,
it's an incredibly important you know, what better objective could
you have for any campaign than to bring fisherman home
and dry? Really uh and you know we you know,
working with all sorts of organizations, whether it's the MCA
or the accident prevent accident investigation branch and so on.
You know, there's there's a huge amount of really good
cross sector working with industry and you know, no one
wants the industry to be safer more than the industry itself, frankly,
and from what I can see, and uh, you know,
seafish has played a really important role in that for
a very long time. You know, we we we've done
that with you know, the all in gas sector actually,
you know, help helping the fishing sector kind of avoid
for one of a better word, avoid oil and gas
pipelines and installations and so on. You know, we've we've
been doing that for the best part of forty years
with the Kingfisher program and you know that has had
really that Kingfisher programs had really really important, significant positive
outcomes and positive benefits over the years. So look, lots
more we can do on that front, but it's core
and central to what we do in Seafish.
Speaker 3: I could I could tick into that the Kingfisher charts
conduct to can but oh my goodness, that's showing my age.
Speaker 2: Yes there, it's amazing. There's actually a wonderful kind of
library of them in our Grimsby office and it's fascinating
to see how the documents have changed over time, you know,
from the ones in late seventies, early eighties or typed
out by hand, you know, posted out every fortnight. And
I you know today I still get these things, you know,
I get updates on my phone come through. You know,
the Kingfisher app I think is fantastic. You know, their
updates on my phone come through about various things. But
you know, it's fascinating seeing how that's evolved over the years.
And as you say, you know that that type of
work is absolutely core and central to what we do
and Seafish we probably need to shout about it a
bit more. I think I'm not sure we always that
it's always as well understood by our partners as it
could be. So you know, I'm kidnap shot about it
a bit more and tell our story. But it's a
good story to tell.
Speaker 3: Oh it isn't the part and that there was at
the time we can and people they got to it.
He could map the up the west course right right,
just a neat hand.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I completely agree. And you know what, what just
going back to that spatial squeeze, you know what one
of the really interesting things on the King Fisher project.
You know, it's it's effectively forty years, forty plus years
of really fantastic data about fishing patterns across UK waters.
Although that data was gathered for different purposes, it's or
for a different purposes, it's incredibly useful to help industry
map out you know, it's activity in the context of
spatial squeeze, and you know, in many ways it's it's
it's a gold mine of information for for Chrono states
and cry of States Scotland. It's a gold mine of
information for the fishing industry and for offshore developed offshore
wind developers. And as to say that data was gathered
for a slightly different purpose, but it's it's a real
gold mine. And you know, we're working pretty closely with
a number of pos two. Yeah, help them make their
case to developers and to the crime of State when
it comes to, you know, making sure that fishermen of
space to fish.
Speaker 3: Yeah, in the annual plan talks a bit smoother and
expanding seafood trade. What would do you feel that would
mean that practical terms, So.
Speaker 2: In practical terms, it means helping businesses, you know, overcome
you know, those kind of regulatory hurdles and barriers that
just you know, just appear in life, you know, for
all sorts of good reasons. But you know, if you're
new to exporting, then you know, we can help with
market development. We can help with market understanding of whichever
market you're wanting to export to, you know, helping you
understand what are the what's the paperwork you know that
you need to fill in and and how does that
work in China compared with how it works in compared
with how it works in Italy and the EU. So
it can be everything from just everything from explaining the
regulatory landscape on helping businesses navigate their way through it
to them, helping them export to different markets. You know,
we're we're for a number of years we've we've been
very heavily involved in exports promotion work, you know, whether
it's the Barcelona Seafood Show, you know, they kind of
global export Barcelona. You know, we run the UK pavilion
at lot similarly kind of the China China shows and
the Japan Show each each each each somewhere, you know,
and we're we will be doing a lot more on
that front as well. So there's a whole variety of
activities around just helping businesses get seafood in and out
of the country to make more money from tapping into
other markets as well as selling in the UK.
Speaker 3: And do you feel they are competitive in the global markets, Yeah.
Speaker 2: We've got yeah, absolutely, it's a great product. You know,
it's real, it's a huge demand. You know, just thinking
you know, back to octopus, just because that's a quite
a thing these days, you know, there is, it's a
great product that's in huge demand in Spain and Usaly
at the moment, thinking again of Shatland, you know, the
whitefish that's caught in Shatland waters. Again, a huge demand
in Europe. Shellfish similarly, you know, in huge, huge demand
all around the world microL for example. Again just thinking
about the demand in the Far East. You know, we've
got a great product. People want to buy it and
so they should. It's you know, a healthy, a really
healthy product. You know, what more could you want than
a high protein, low carbon healthy product nowadays. And you know,
we've got an abundance in our waters, whether it's shellfish,
whether it's farmed, whether it's uh, you know, fin fish
or whatever else. You know, we've we've got a great product.
Speaker 3: And when you say that, I know it might might
used to it would be interesting and Nike like, is
it still classed as a quality product UK?
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think it certainly is. And you know when
you when you see the quality of the produce that's
landed in I don't know, it's Luerwick in May, and
you know you see the product sort of the quality
of the products being landed in lurer Weck or you
know the I'm contractually obliged Jim to mention Northern Ireland
at all times given my given my background, but you know,
when I was in Kilkeel earlier in the year, you
see the quality of the net rocks being landed there.
You know, of course it's it's it's a really high quality,
you know, really high quality produce and uh yeah, I
think it's pretty high demand around the world.
Speaker 3: Is it a rule for seafish and help in maybe
smaller seafood businesses access those markets.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think there is actually and yeah, you know
it's you make a good point, Jim, because it's it's
it's sometimes easy to kind of just focus on the
bigger businesses when actually it's the SMEs that we need
to that maybe I don't export traditionally and maybe struggle
to tap into the export market, but you know, perhaps
that's where we can add most value. And certainly the
there's there's a program of work kicking off at the
moment that that we're taking forward with DEFRA on seafood
exports the Minister annoynce to and at the Barcelona Seafood
Show in April. So you know, there's a program of
work that we're taking forward with DEFRA on it will
need one of its focuses will be how do we
make sure that it's the smaller businesses who get access
to you know, how do we help them how do
we scale them up, how do we support them to
get to the point where they can stand on their
own two feet in the export world. And perhaps when
they're on their own two feet they need a little
bit less support or support of a different kind maybe,
But no, you make a really good point that sometimes
it's the SMEs that need well, you know again, and
I should be claiming that we work really closely with
the likes of Seafood Scotland and some on Scotland as well,
but you know, we work really closely with the team
that you know, with Donna's team on export promotion work,
you know, and they do it. I think they do
a fantastic job as well. And you know, we we
work together very well and there's a lot that we
can all do to help our SMEs and our larger
companies tap into those next markets.
Speaker 3: And do you feel in that market when you're when
you're we're mentioning them the challenges from things like Brexit,
the inflation, labor shortages and that, do you feel there's
still there's still a resilience.
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, yes, Look, of course there's resilience there. That's
not to diwnplay any of the challenges that you've you
just mentioned there, Jim. You know they've all been difficult,
and you know, fuel prices for example, you know in
the last few months have you know, caused huge problems,
not just in the UK but globally really but yeah,
there is a resilience there and and some of that
comes down to the kind of the passion that people
have for the sector. You know, there they will uh
they will be damned, they will you know, before they
before they give up. And you know there's that passion
means that you know, that gives people real drive to
make it work.
Speaker 3: And there you're concerned about them part of maybe increasing
costs on seafood businesses.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I think that's you know, a concern for
any business. Uh you know, when if, if, when costs
are going up, that's always going to have an impact
on on on the P and L and on the
bottom line. So look, but but you know, I come
back to the point that there's a really quality product there.
There's a good strong demand for it. And if you've
got a quality product with strong demand, you know, that's
a good that's a pretty good starting point for any business.
And yes, there are you know, really significant problems for businesses,
you know, to clear around energy costs a once, just
employment costs as well, or or you know are going
up as we know, so you know, real challenges there.
But you know, we've got a lot of really innovative
businesses in the UK and the UK sea food sector
who are able to adapt to those adapt to those changes,
adapt to those challenges, and you know, all power to them. Yeah.
Speaker 3: No, it's interesting to see how we encouraged. I would
be encouraged to hear yeah, or thinking positive at it,
because if I go back to my experience, I would
have to say, Colin, when I had my factory run
in and we were selling I real top quality. When
I see when I say top quality, most of the
boats and our area at that time were three days.
It was a big lot, was a long trip. Most
of them were daily. So we were buying that fish
almost daily, boats processing it, and we got the stage
we're dealing with like frozen food, full salors and people
like that, or the land fish markets we got. I
felt latterly they would they would buy hours first, that
they wouldn't pay any more for it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, no, I look, I got that completely and
it's easy for me as a kind of faceless bureaucrat
and a you know, and a nice office to kind
of say, oh, it's it's all going smoothly and all
going perfectly for businesses, you know, you know, it's tough
to run businesses. It's tough to to make money, it's
tough to compete. But look, all I can say is
I see a lot of really good examples around the
country of you know, people thriving. Yes, there are plenty
of examples of people finding it really tough as well,
of course, you know, of course there are, but you know,
there's a real you know, I'm always heartened by the
fact that I think there's a a real quality produce
put forward in the UK that's in demand globally. Perhaps
it would be a shame, you know, perhaps there's a
bit of a shame that we don't eat as much
of it ourselves as we should and we export so
much of it, but that's that's an entirely different story
or an entirely different issue. But yeah, look, I completely
get that it's tough, but you know, there are a
lot of people who are very good at rising to
that challenge.
Speaker 3: And where would you see the biggest challenges and risks
facing the supply chain over the next few years.
Speaker 2: Well, gosh like it. Well where shall I start? So, look,
there's clearly quite a lot going on on the kind
of just let's usually call it, kind of a global
supply of seafood, you know, particularly in whitefish. You know,
there's a real contraction and supply globally at the moment,
particularly you know, on the for a whole variety of reasons.
You know, you've got declining coaches in the North Norway
or kind of in the Barren Sea, and a little
bit in Iceland as well. You see, you know, h
much less Russian whitefish in the supply chain. And I'm
quite right too in my view, so you you also
see them. So you know there's there's there's quite there's
a big bucket of issues around just that kind of
global contraction and supply, particularly on whitefish, but but not solely. Look,
you then also see a whole bucket of issues around
the impacts of climate change, the impacts of changing stock
distribution around the world, you know, which I'm not even
sure we've really grasped the full extent and the full
details of what that will mean for businesses in the
coming decades. You know that in itself, I think is
you know, will will be an enormous challenge for businesses
to adapt to. You know, with supply chains, will will well,
we'll just have to evolve really significantly. So look, you
know there's there's a whole bucket of things around what
I would just loosely call global supply on and where
the fish are in the ocean. Look, other challenges. You know,
Seafood is you know I said earlier, really you know,
high protein, low carbon product. But you know, when when
money is short, you know, consumers often tend to switch
to two cheaper proteins. And you know that's that's a
pretty common occurrence globally. So you know, seafood can be
an ex or is often seen as an expensive product.
So you know that that that that that protein battle
globally will will remain difficult. But look, there's there's massive
opportunities out there at the same time. You know, I've
always think back to what you know, the Food and
Agriculture Organization talks about where they you know, they say
that and I'm probably going to miss quote the numbers here,
so so forgive you, forgive me for miss quoting the numbers.
But you know there'll be I think it's too billion
extra people on the planet by twenty fifty. You know,
if global population rises from eight billion to ten billion,
you know, how will that extra two billion be faed? Well,
you know they're in terms of protein sources, probably seafood,
probably farmed, you know, a lot of it farmed. But
you know, seafood has got a real future in terms
of being that go to high protein food source for
billions of people around the world, you know, and in
an environment where we're trying to reduce climate emissions, you know, seafood,
as a very broad brush statement, seafood is really well
placed to you know, fill that fill that nutrition gap
around the world. You know, high protein food source with
you know, comparatively low carbon emissions can with beef compared
with whatever else. You know, when my shellfish colleagues would
expect me to mention the likes of muscles and so on,
which have an incredibly low carbon footprint, you know. Yeah,
And you know, I think sometimes we almost need to
market ourselves more as a you know, as a as
a product, as a protein product, and as a low
carbon product as much as anything else because you know,
to me, that's where the battle will be fought in
the next twenty thirty years.
Speaker 3: Is it interesting when you say that, because and you're
talking about the demand and price increase, and the prices
have key saide, prices have been really high. Yeah, it
was the last few weeks anyway. And there's, as the
saying goes calling, there's all kinds to make a world exactly.
You'll get some fisherman rubbing their hands enjoying the big price.
You get some other more realistic ones that are a
wee bit worried where's this is gonna go? Where's this
is gonna take us? And it reminds me very much
of a conversation I had with a customer. It's actually Glasgow,
and we were in a similar situation. Price is high,
and I don't think we have to be too over
alarmed because fishing is cyclical.
Speaker 5: It thinks highs, peaks and troughs, highs and lows.
Speaker 3: And I was having a conversation with customer in Glasgow
and it was at a time when fish with prices
were high. Then obviously not in the same minute the
values as we're talking now, but yeah, high at the
time and his comment to me was, yes, some people
will enjoy it, but we have to be careful that
we don't kill the goose that laves the golden egg completely.
And when you think of what we're going to just know,
do you know what that conversation took place Colin that
was in.
Speaker 2: This in the sixties, right, wow, So.
Speaker 3: As the same goes for all the changes and the changes.
Speaker 2: Well indeed, the well indeed indeed, and you know it
is I suppose at the risk of going to Old
Testament here, you know, there's I remember that, you know,
the story of seven years of feast and seven years
of famine. You know there was a lesson there in
that and in that story about you know, saving up
for the farm during the years of feast, and uh,
you know that's that's an important lesson, you know. And
again just thinking out lies, you know, going back to say,
what's happening in the Southwest at the moment on octopus.
You know it's very lucrative at the moment, but you know,
none of us know where this will go. Will the
octopus bloom disappear after this year? Will it be around
for five years, will be around for ten? Is it
around forever. But you know, if if you're a glass
half empty, and you know, if you think that it's
going to disappear sooner rather than later, well what comes?
How are we planning for the next phase? You know?
What about the those shellfish operators who probably won't have
much to catch after the octopus have gone for four
or five years? You know. So as I say, my
my Calvinist roots, take me back to my as you say,
seven years of face, seven years of famine. And I
always thought it's a good, good analogy.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, James. And I'm gonna be the dreaded word,
but I like class as the most overused word in
the English alphabet a language. Sorry, sustainability, well, sustainability and
profitability or something portrayed as beating priorities. These thee that
can work.
Speaker 2: And then and they have to work hard and hand
and you know, I look, it's a clid cliche, is
but you know you can't you can't really have economic
sustainability without environmental sustainability. And you know, economic sustainability is
as important as any other form of sustainability in my view,
so you know, the two are codependent. So look, I
think you go back to your point, you know, you've
got to be careful about killing the golden case. And
I think, you know, I think most businesses recognize that,
particularly you know that that you need a long term
perspective on these things. On environmental sustainability, I think is
you know, absolutely it is the bedrock of profitability in
the end in the fishing industry.
Speaker 3: And my view, I have to say just as an
observation and not don't read try to read anything into
where I'm coming from. It's just an observation. You probably
find it yourself. Call it any Obviously, people affiltiate me
with fish, fish and seafood. And over the years whenst
they would say, oh I bought fish such and such,
this species or bad species, They'll tell me this species
they bought, they've telled me how good it was or
what they felt about it, and what or what they
dish that they cooked with it. Anytime anybody's telling me,
now the board fish, they tell me what they're paid
for it.
Speaker 2: Really is that right? Interesting? But you know, at the
same time, you know, I often think you know, people
at the same time still go out to a restaurant.
On if they're going out to a restaurant they'll often
I don't know if they will pay and sorry, I'm
based in London, so maybe this is London prices. But
you know, they'll happily paid twenty five quid for a steak.
Maybe not happily, but they'll they'll you know, often end
up having to pay twenty something quide for a steak
and probably more. But there's less of a less of
a moan about that, I always find than if they're
having to pay for fish. We've we've got a kind
of a funny set of expectations in Britain sometimes that
we expect fish to be cheaper, whereas we forget but
actually it is a really amazing premium quality product and
many you know, in so many cases, and uh, you
know why why why should be you know, why should
we expected to be dirt cheap? You know, we it's
it's a fantastic premium healthy product. So but you're right, yeah, look,
price is a huge issue on it because back to
the point about you know, very often people switch to
cheaper protein sources when when when when times are tough.
But look, there's a great product. I enjoy eating it, so.
Speaker 3: And yeah, the other thing that I feel a wee
bit putably annoyed about at times that or maybe no,
let's not talk about annoying interest interests. Definitely interested.
Speaker 2: Sure, you'll be.
Speaker 6: Talking to people and do you ever find that people
they'll they'll make comparisons with when they're talking about praise
and just say they're talking about.
Speaker 3: A certain species of fish. You could see it any
headache in Scotland court.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and.
Speaker 3: What do they what do they compare that with us?
Speaker 2: You know?
Speaker 3: Or you could go to the butchers and buy months
or something or stew or that, and I say, well,
wait a minute, here we're talking about really top end,
high quality.
Speaker 2: Fixed exactly and you know if yeah, and you know
because back to the point that you know, I often
think all sorts of people probably don't think twice and
London more. I love about paying I don't know, twenty
five thirty thirty five quent for a steak and it's
probably not a very big piece of meat at all.
Yet they kind of turn their nose up, you know,
at fish being more than two points fifty and you
know that does that doesn't feel like we're treating like
with like there?
Speaker 3: Yeah, and do you see any an importance and innovation
and creating more resilient seafood industry.
Speaker 2: So look, yes, you know when you see the kind
of in the food service sector, on the processing sector,
I suppose you know secondary processing who you know, those
businesses that are supplying the retailers, you know, putting forward
incredibly anovative products to to chat more consumers to seafood
or chat more consumers to fish. So look, we see
that all the time. But then you know we've been
going to the other end of the supply chain. You know,
innovation can be can mean all sorts of different things.
You know, gear technology, it's incredible innovation going on in
gear technology around the UK. I am no expert in
gear technology. I kind of roughly know what a Dolly
roupe is, but you know, I'm not going to pretend
I'm an expert in it. But you know, there's incredible
innovation going on there that often I think the sector
doesn't really get the credit for in the way that
I think it could do. So, you know, it's a
huge innovation going on in the catching sector to to
to lessen the environmental impact of fishing, and you know,
I sometimes think it's a shame that, Yeah, we're not
always very good at telling that story collectively about the
way that innovation is lessening the environmental impact of fishing
and of yeah, the way that innovation is is bringing
out a really quality product.
Speaker 3: For com it. Just a fisherman contribute into thief fish
through the levy system that you mentioned earlier. What would
you say to any who questioned whether they were they
receives sufficient value in return?
Speaker 2: So I would say to them phone us up, drop
or send us an email and let's talk it through that.
You know, I would want that individual to help me
understand where we know. If that fisherman thinks that I'm
that seafish is missing a trick, I want to understand that.
I want to I want them to tell me that,
and I want to have that conversation with them so
that I can understand how we can help them better.
Because if we're missing a teck, I want to know
about that. Personally, I'm not convinced that we are always
messing a check, but if we are, I want to
know about it and we will fix it. So, you know,
we used to say lift the phone. I'm not sure
people do lift the phone these days, but you know,
lift the phone, tell us, send us an email. If
you think you're not getting what you you know, you're
not getting anything, back to your levee, tell us and
we will come and talk to you. We will talk
you through the services that we offer. We will talk
you through our yeah, all that we all that we
have to offer, and we will try and make sure
that we are adapting what we offer to the needs
of your business, whether it's catching sector, whether it's processing sector,
whether it's anything else. So come and talk to us
as what I'd.
Speaker 3: Say, brilliant, brilliant and how do you ensure the seafish
yourselves remain connected to the realities of life. But see
and on the key side.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, that's that's always a challenge, I think for
any organization. So we do that in a number of ways.
We've got people who are out and about, you know,
who are embedded in communities around the coast, who you know,
live in different parts of the UK, you know, from
the type of Cornwall to Arden American to to Kent
to County Dine, et cetera. So you know, we we
have people who are spread all around the coast and
all around the country who you know are our hearing
at firsthand what's going on around the coast. Obviously that
in itself, that's that's not enough in itself, but because
and then on top of that, we have I think
I mentioned earlier, you know, a whole range of what
we would call sector panels advisory committees of made up
of representatives of industry who talk us through what's going
on and what's going on in their sector, what's going
on in their businesses. And then on top of that,
you know, I am very very keen that Seafish staff,
whether they're on the coast or anywhere else, are in
about talking to industry at all times. I always say that,
you know, Seafish has to be seen to be believed,
and I want for staff to bet in about as
much as possible in ports, in with in factories, with
with with with our processors, on shell fish farms, on
whatever else, keeping their ear to the ground and understanding
the reality of what's going on in the sector, because
if we're not doing that, then we can't adapt our
offer on our work to the realities of the world
around us.
Speaker 3: Deep and I know I was going to ask you
that I know there's no sort there's no such thing
as a silver bullet. But where do you think seafish
can make the sort of greatest positive difference for fishing businesses?
Speaker 2: So look, I think you know, I'll go back to
what we've said out in the annual Plan this year
that you know there are I suppose that at the
most obvious level, a safer sector is always going to
be a better sector. We do a huge amount of
work on the on the safety front, and I think
a safer sector is going to be a more attractive
sector for for younger people to join as well. Frankly,
so that that's certainly one area where I think we
can help. Obviously, catching sector, you have to be able
to sell the produce and you have to have markets
to sell it to, you know, either UK markets, international
markets to sell it to. We do, you know, it's
core and central to our work is that kind of
market development, work on work around getting seafood in and
out of the country efficiently, legally and you know, at
minimal cost. So you know, I personally think there are
a whole whole heap of areas where seafish can add value. Again,
I'm just mentioning gear technology. You know, we do a
lot of work on the gear technology front, and you know,
that's certainly something I'm very keen for us to expand
and do more on. Frankly so, but I think I'd
come back to the point that if an if a
particular business, or a particular boat or a particular skipper
thinks that we're not adding value, I really want to
hear about it. I want them to tell me so
that we can make sure that we are listening to
what they've said and adapting our offers as a result.
Speaker 3: No, I like that we keep connected, and you see
that's the importance in doing that. That's positive. I see
that as positive.
Speaker 2: Look we you know, there's that awful phrase, the kind
of the license to operate. You know, it's a bit
of a cliche these days, but you know, Seafish's license
to operate has to come from it's understanding of the sector.
It's openness to the sector I mean, and I mean,
you know, the whole of the supply chain, not not
solely the catching sector, but important to what is. You know,
our license to operate has to come from having strong
understanding of the sector and from listening and from being
responsive and learning from what we hear around us. You know,
like that. We do. We have a license to operate.
Speaker 3: You know, when you say that, Colin, with the listening,
it's remained in me. My father used to give me.
He was you have two eyes, you have two ears
and one both He's.
Speaker 2: Just used well exactly, And the ratio is like that
for a good reason. Absolutely no, I couldn't agree more.
You know. That's that as I say that that ratio
is an important an important lesson to you know, for
all of us to bear in mind.
Speaker 3: Definitely, what would you like the UK seafood sector to
look like years to come?
Speaker 2: Oh goodness, look what I like it to look like? Look,
I really wanted to be I wanted to be successful.
I want it to be look I wanted The sectory
is complex. There's a variety of a whole range of
different parts to you know, these that are catching and
who are exporting, you know, I want them to be
able to export their products, you know, land their product
legally safely and in a sustainable way and be able
to make you know, good money from it as a result.
And you know, I want the quality of that produce
to be recognized globally. And you know, for those who
are perhaps more reliant on the import on on on
importing seafood. You know, I want them to be able
to have, uh, you know, a business model which lends
itself to the consumer wanting to buy their products. I
want them to have businesses which can navigate the the
you sometimes complex import regulations. Well, look, basically, I want
them to be economically and environmentally sustainable. I suppose it's
the maybe the the shorter, the shorter answer to it all,
but you know, economically and environmentally sustainable is what I
want them to see what I want them to be?
Speaker 3: Yeah, good, good, And what would you like your like
you sy it seafish deluke like.
Speaker 2: Gosh, I'm not. I've only been in the job six months.
I haven't got to the point of thinking about a
legacy yet, Jim. Although care Stormer only lasted two years,
so maybe you know. Anyway, let's.
Speaker 3: So you see my forward thinking guys.
Speaker 2: Look, look, it's cliche. All you want to do is
try to, you know, help help businesses do a better job,
Help help the fishing industry be more profitable, be more sustainable,
be you know, whether that's economically or environmentally sustainable. You know,
you want communities to thrive and you know that's what
any of us. I suppose any of us have as
our legacy, these communities thriving.
Speaker 3: Uh huh, yeah, good. And just say we were recording
again twelve months time. What achievements would you like? That
is you're going to be reporting.
Speaker 2: So what would I say twelve months time? Well, look,
I would want there to I think a kind of
a clearer understanding amongst our stakeholders of what seafish does,
of what its purpose is, or what its strategy is.
That's something we have to keep keep chipping away up
and reiterating. So you know, definitely in twelve months time,
i'd want a clearer I would very much hope that
our stakeholders have a clearer sense of all of that. Secondly,
i'd really want a you know, that the industry sees
US as their go to partner for export promotion, for
analysis of the seafood sector, for helping them navigate their
way through the regulatory morass that they sometimes face. That
they see US as a really strong provider of training,
of safety initiatives, you know, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
So look, for me, I think it's it's the core
is you know, how we go about telling our story
as an organization, and you know, I really want us
to be telling our story better, telling it more in
human terms, and telling it more cogently.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, And do you think there is something of
a gap between policy makers believe the industry's priorities and
what fishermen actually experience day to day.
Speaker 2: As an ex policy maker, I think I have I
feel the need to defend the my my my ex colleagues. Look,
no one has a monopoly on wisdom of No one has,
whether you know, no matter what profession they're in. And
you know it's important that government, whether that's governments in Edinburgh, Belfast,
Carda for London, you know it's important that governments are
as up to speed on as deeply embedded in their
fishing communities as they can be. Otherwise they will make
less credible decisions. So look, I my experience personally in
the freshing sector is that I think and maybe I
would say this wouldn't because I worked for government, But
I actually think governments are engaged and are really really
close to the catching sector in a way that doesn't
happen as much and many many other sectors of the economy.
You know, I see people thinking back to my former
defer colleagues. You know, I see really really knowledgeable, capable
folk there. He are as passionate about a successful sector
as every fisher amount is. So look, I feel I
need to defend my former colleagues here. I you know,
of course there's more that can be done to narrow
that gap. Of course, there is always more that can
be done. And you know, and see if she is
very happy to help narrow that gap as well. But yeah, look,
I'm I'm I'm happy to defend the honor of my
former colleagues on that one.
Speaker 3: Jim, No, I wouldn't say the reason what I was
coming from saying that the one experience, it's a good
friend about the landing and scrubs. And he came up
to me and read a letter with variations and things
that he had that you know, policy maker. He thinks
that he had to get seen to his freshing boat.
And and I'm not trying to be critical.
Speaker 7: And say everybody's like that, but he was holding the
letter and he says to me, jem hesus reading that,
I knew, I can tell that the person that wrote
that has never been enough fishing boat and he's never
my use.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and like I'm quite sure that that that happens,
and I'm quite sure it happens too often. Look, there's
there's often all sorts of reasons why I thinks like
that happened. But look, I think the key is making
sure that and I you know, I get back to
the point that you know, seafish staff, and I think
government staff as well, so important that they get out
and about around ports and business and processing companies around
the UK. You know, nothing beats spending a day in
a harbor talking to fisherman. Nothing beats, you know, being
in a market at five am seeing what's being landed.
You know, nothing beats being in a you know, well
I've got a beard, so you know beard net and
hairnet and a processing factory. You know, just understanding how
it actually operates on the ground. You know, that is
worth that is worth its weight in gold, and it
is worth any number of hours kind of reading about
the industry. So you know, I would only encourage any
of my former colleagues and government to spend a lot
of time doing.
Speaker 3: That good good And do you ever come across I
think that's fascinated me. Never thought about it, there no
reason to before, but having spent time in the with
my restaurant and I was involved and some of the
chefs associations, federations and that, and going around different places
the establishments and meeting people, I never realized it. But
when as I got to know more chefs, I was
quite amazed with how close chefs and fishermen are. Right,
there's so many similarities in the way the I don't know,
I'm well coming up with magic plans and giving great
long winded reasons, but it's really fascinated me.
Speaker 2: Good, Like maybe it comes back to, you know, that
point about passion, but you know, chefs are incredibly passionate
about the raw materials they're using, and you know, fishermen
are incredibly passionate about about their about their about their
job and about you know, about the practice of fishing.
And you know passion meets fashion.
Speaker 3: Yeah, No, I I often think it would be good
for both because, let's face it, they both need each other.
Speaker 2: The chef.
Speaker 3: Chef needs the fish, but the fisherman needs the chef
to buy it.
Speaker 2: So totally totally, and you know, the chef wants to
know that the pro chase he or she's handling is
you know, the best possible quality and has been caught
in the best possible way, and uh, you know, yeah,
it's it's an interesting point. Yeah, I hadn't really thought
of that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the most impressive things you've been since joining seafish?
Is there anything in particular that's wow that impresses me?
Speaker 2: You mean in the industry, christ in.
Speaker 3: General, just within sea fish or yes, the industry. U.
Speaker 2: Look, I suppose one of the things I've always really
impressed by. I mentioned the Kingfisher work that see Fisher
dolls earlier, you know, the the that that kind of
geospatial mapping work which I am no expert on, but gosh,
when you know when you see that mapping work that
goes on to map fishing activity across the UK, and
the kind of the technical expertise that sits behind all
of that I must have had, I always find that
incredibly impressive. I'm certainly not an expert in it, but
it's it impresses the like of me, the likes of
me when I see it. But and then also, as
I say, just I love getting out in about and
visiting businesses and all of that. But you know what's
you know, there are plenty of wow moments when you
go to you know, processing factories and you see the
you know, the way in which they adapt their products
for their consumers, and you know, the way that they're
incredibly innovative. Yeah, so there's all sorts of wow moments
I think when you go and just get out and
about and visit places. And probably the other wow moment
was the amount of octopus that was being landed in
Cornwall last week. But you know that was that was
quite a wild moment as well.
Speaker 3: That's an incredible story that I've had. I've had a
podcast with Brace Stewart, Yeah, on the podcast Bloom. It's
my goodness. It's really interesting.
Speaker 2: It's fascinating, you know, on so many different levels, and
you know, in some ways incredibly positive, other ways, you know,
very worrisome. But yeah, you know what what what will
happen in two years time, five years time and so on?
You know, there's a lot of worries there.
Speaker 3: Is there any thing you would like consumers to know
about seafood? Is there anyone anything in particular that you've
picked up?
Speaker 2: But look, I think I think the thing I'm always
struck by if you go to I don't know, you
go to Sainsbury's, you go to Tesco wherever. You know.
I love in Clapham in London, So I go to
Sainsbury's and Clapham High Street and there's so many products
that are advertised on the basis of you know, high
high end protein et cetera, et cetera, and I think
sometimes we must have checked a little bit in pitching
seafood as that kind of high end protein type of project,
you know, a product. And I think, so, I suppose
what I mean in that is, you know what I
would really love consumers to perhaps have to accept and
have a better under arming of just you know, the
protein intensity of all sorts of seafood and so so yeah,
I think that's probably one area it's just them. And
also just you know, seafood's gotten such a such a
kind of romantic history behind it all and a romantic provenance,
you know, and so many people want to understand where
their food comes from. And you know, I think I
suppose in a general sense, whether it's seafood or whether
it's any other food, I'm always very keen for, you know,
to see consumers understanding where their food comes from, whether
it's beef, whether it's milk, whether it's vegetables, whether it's seafood.
You know, I think it's so important that consumers should
understand where their food comes from.
Speaker 3: Good good And is there any one thing, almost like
folding up, is there any one thing you'd like fisherman
to know about seaf it?
Speaker 2: Oh well, look, I'd go back to the point that
you look. Tell us. If we're doing something wrong, just
tell us, and you know, I want to know about it.
If if you think that you're not getting value out
of seafish, tell us. But also if you think if
you think we are doing a good job, tell us
that as well. You know, quite like to hear both
both of those things. But you know, and if you
if an individual business or an individual fisherman doesn't know
what we do, you know, tell us and we'll come
and talk to them and talk them through or offer
listen to what they want from us, and see if
we can match those two things up.
Speaker 3: Wonderful, wonderful. How can our listeners foller you online in
our social media presence?
Speaker 2: I confess I'm yeah, okay, I'm on LinkedIn and so on.
Which isn't the most exciting social media thing in the world.
But yeah, I confess I'm not a massive social media person,
but LinkedIn is the is probably the main place I
must have. I tend to use social media more as
opportunities for me to learn about what's going on in
the world, rather than self promotion, I must admit. Yeah,
so I think we're Seafish itself is over all the
over all the socials. We've got an Instagram account now,
so if you I'm sure you're on Instagram gym, but
if you want to follow Seafish, we're on Instagram now,
I think as of last week. But yeah, and we're
over you know, I think less so on X. We're
probably moving away a bit from X, but you know,
all the other socials were over.
Speaker 3: All of that excellent.
Speaker 5: Well, thank you, I'm gonna move up and thank you
very much and wishes success with your post. And you
certainly come across as a as you mentioned yourself a
glass half full person.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's right. I think that, you know,
I think a kind of optimist, but I realised at
the same time.
Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you very much then.
Speaker 2: And thank you. Thank you for the opportunity Jim very
much appreciated
Speaker 3: M h M