Seafish has a new Director of Operations

Seafish, the public body supporting the UK seafood sector, has announced the appointment of Barry Harland as its new Director of Operations, a position he will take up next July.

With more than 20 years of leadership experience across the UK seafood and food sectors, Harland currently serves as Head of Organisational Development and Culture at Whitby Seafoods. At the same company, he has held senior roles in areas including Organisational Development and Culture, Responsible Business, Continuous Improvement, and Technical.

Before that, he spent 12 years at McCain Foods in senior manufacturing and transformation roles. Finally, he has served as Chair of the Whitby Town Deal Board, Director of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain, and a member of the steering committee for the UK Seafood Innovation Fund.

Regarding his appointment, Harland expressed: "I’m excited to be joining Seafish and look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders across the seafood sector. It is a great opportunity to support an industry I care deeply about, strengthen the work that helps businesses succeed, and contribute to something that makes a real difference to coastal communities."

Additionally, the Chair of Seafish, Mike Sheldon, said: "Barry brings extensive commercial experience, broad knowledge of the seafood sector, proven leadership skills, and tremendous energy and good humour. We are delighted that he will be joining our team."

In 2025, Seafish announced its intention to restructure following the UK Government's rejection of the organisation’s proposed reforms to its levy system. The organisation is funded through a levy applied to the first sale of seafood products in the United Kingdom, including imported seafood.