In 2023, the UK's seafood processing sector provided 17,200 full-time equivalent jobs, according to Seafish figures.
Photo: Seafish.
Seafish launches 2025 Seafood Processing Survey to support UK industry
UK seafood industry body Seafish has launched its annual Seafood Processing Survey for 2025 and is calling on seafood processing businesses across the UK to take part.
The survey, which runs from April to June, collects essential data on employment, operating costs, processed species, and business turnover.
According to Seafish, the information gathered helps inform government policy decisions and provides insight into the economic health of the seafood processing sector.
“Seafood processors are an essential part of the UK seafood supply chain,” said Carlos Paredes, Economics Project Manager at Seafish, announcing the initiative.
“Taking part in our survey allows us to gather data that helps us understand the issues faced by the processing sector and the support businesses might need to respond to these issues.”
Survey results help businesses benchmark performance, and influence government policy, says Seafish
Previous editions of the survey have highlighted major challenges within the sector, such as labour shortages and increasing energy costs.
Seafish says that the findings have been used to shape policies around labour access, trade, and energy, and that participating businesses often use the data to benchmark performance and support funding applications.
The seafood industry body highlights current potential challenges and opportunities include "changes to the regulatory landscape", as well as "new trading relationships, immigration policy and workforce availability".
"It is important for industry and government to have accurate, up-to-date information on the sector. The survey helps us to create an accurate picture of financial performance and socio-economic importance including jobs and Gross Value Added (GVA). The more data that businesses provide, the more accurate our report," Seafish stated.
Snapshot of UK's seafood processing sector
According to the most recent Seafish data published on its website, the seafood processing sector as a whole has "contracted" since 2012, although the reduction in the number of processing sites can be partially attributed to company takeovers and mergers.
In 2023 there were 353 majority seafood processing sites across the UK, some of which belonged to companies with multiple sites, accounting for just over 17,200 full-time equivalent jobs in the industry, according to Seafish figures.
