Photo by Nick Fewings
The UK’s struggling fishing industry is set to receive its first comprehensive national strategic plan, with former Fisheries Minister Daniel Zeichner MP appointed to lead the development of an action plan that stakeholders say is desperately overdue.
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries announced this month it will develop a National Fisheries Action Plan to create an urgently needed roadmap for UK fishing and seafood, addressing what industry leaders describe as a sector in crisis.
Zeichner, who previously served as Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, will work alongside APPG chairs Melanie Onn MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes and Alistair Carmichael MP for Orkney and Shetland to deliver the framework, with publication expected in summer 2026.
A sector under pressure
The initiative comes as the fishing industry faces mounting challenges including spatial squeeze from marine protection proposals, cuts to critical fish stocks, ongoing trade difficulties, and fragmented responsibility across multiple government departments and agencies.
“Over the past twelve months, however, the APPG on Fisheries has heard of a range of challenges threatening fishing’s viability,” Onn said. “The common thread across each is the gap left by the absence of a holistic strategy for the industry.”
Carmichael emphasised the dramatic changes facing UK fleets and seafood businesses: “Over the past years the context in which the UK’s fleets and seafood businesses are operating has changed dramatically. Fisheries today are faced with numerous challenges from spatial squeeze, new marine protection proposals, questions relating to investment, access and training for workers across the sector, safety issues, exacerbated by concerns surrounding cuts to critical stocks, ongoing trade challenges and negotiations over quota and access.”
He added: “Adding to this, responsibility for issues relating to the sector sits across multiple departments and agencies. If this sector – so important to coastal and island communities right around our country – is to succeed, it needs a clear strategy.”
Industry calls for strategic vision
Mike Cohen, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said the industry has been calling for a national strategy “for quite some time” but that in the last twelve months, “that need has become even more pressing.”
“We need a plan that recognises the value of our sector as a food producing economic industry; safeguards our space at sea; protects our grounds; promotes sustainability; supports livelihoods; champions our sector; and allows us to deliver our full national benefit,” he continued.
Daniel Lawson, executive officer for the Shetland Fishermen’s Association, cautiously welcomed the initiative, noting that fishing crews are happy to see “an attempt towards a strategic plan for supporting their industry; rather than lurching between economic shocks and political let downs – as it feels to many of them at the moment.”
Lawson called for “a tide turned in political thinking: from fishing as an out-of-sight and so out-of-mind problem child to a naturally recurring, low carbon and healthy food source which supports rural areas and retains nation food production capacity at a time of global instability.”
Mapping the future
The high-level plan will map the UK’s fishing and seafood industry and its value, outline key priority areas for action, and set out recommendations to address current challenges facing the sector. It will cover UK fisheries across all four nations while respecting devolution arrangements.
“Fishing holds great potential in terms of our food system, health, economy, commitments on nature, and security as an island nation. But there are urgent challenges facing the sector,” Zeichner said. “I have witnessed these on quaysides around our coasts. Over the coming months we will be seeking evidence from fishermen and women, processors, retailers, communities and other fisheries stakeholders to address these challenges and ensure we can develop a whole-sector plan that can meaningfully contribute to a strategy for the sector’s future.”
The plan will be developed with input from a 15-member Review Board representing fishing organisations, processors, retailers, environmental groups, and academic institutions across the UK. Board members include representatives from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, Marine Stewardship Council, and several universities, alongside independent consultants and industry figures.
Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, stressed the urgency: “Development of this action plan by the APPG is coming at a crucial time for the industry. Our primary producers, and consequently our ability to produce renewable, healthy food from our seas, are under threat as never before.”
George Clark, UK & Ireland programme director at the Marine Stewardship Council, described the initiative as “a timely and much needed opportunity,” noting that “as a crucial component of our food system, and with lots of potential to play a more central role in the UK’s food security, health and sustainability agenda, an action plan for UK fishing and seafood that makes these connections” is essential.
Broader context
The announcement comes shortly after the UK Government revealed its £360 million coastal growth fund, which has faced criticism for its allocation to Scotland.
Despite recent progress in fisheries management, the UK lacks a comprehensive economic strategy for fishing as a food production sector, unlike other industries. Supporters argue the sector, which produces low-carbon nutritious food, could play a significant role in meeting climate targets, supporting biodiversity, and enhancing food security.
The work is being supported by The Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, with the Review Board scheduled to hold its first meeting next month.