Sustaining seafood pressures and opportunities.

Demand for seafood is on the rise, it playing an increasing role in the flexitarian diets of many food to go consumers. At the same time, there are concerns over its sustainability and the future management of our seafood stocks.

MANAGING SUPPLY

This month sees the hosting on an online Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum policy conference focusing on the way forward for fisheries management in the UK - Next steps for fisheries policy in the UK (Joint Fisheries Statement implementation, management plans and sustainability, trade and collaboration, and supporting industry resilience and competitiveness).

The meeting offers a timely opportunity for stakeholders and key policymakers to examine next steps following the recently published Joint Fisheries Statement from Defra and the UK devolved governments, which sets out how the administrations will apply policy aimed at meeting objectives around protecting fish stocks, fisheries management, the environment and supporting industry.

Delegates will be able to discuss key issues around implementation including the development of fisheries management plans incorporating an ecosystem-based approach, tailoring plans, the way forward for partnerships and priorities for monitoring progress of outcomes. The meeting will include a case study from the bass fishery management plan, which is one of six frontrunner plans that will inform future development.

Attendees will also be able to look at the priorities for supporting the fishing industry along with the communities and partners that depend on it, looking at building sustainability and resilience, addressing workforce shortfalls, adaptations to climate change, supporting coastal communities, and issues around quotas, competitiveness, and trade and exports.

The chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, Barrie Deas, is a keynote speaker at the conference, and there will also be senior contributions from Natural England and the Institute of Fisheries Management. Chairing the conference is Angus MacNeil MP, chair, International Trade Committee; and SNP spokesperson for Environment and Rural Affairs. Areas for discussion include…

● fisheries management (developing effective and tailored fisheries management plans - partnership working - options for monitoring progress)

● sustainability (collaborative approaches across the UK and coastal states on sustainable fishing practices and adaptation to climate change)

● industry pressures (taking forward fisheries management in the context of pressures affecting the sector, including rising costs and international conflict - managing the impact of offshore wind)

● long-term resilience (addressing workforce shortages and skills gaps - supporting coastal communities and infrastructure - improving preparedness to shocks)

● competitiveness (the impact of quota negotiations - building new markets and expanding)

INCREASED DEMAND FOR APPROVAL

Indicating how popular and in demand seafood increasingly is, an increasing number of Scottish salmon farmers are now seeking certification to prove their social and environmental credentials, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) report.

Regarded as a leading global certification and labelling programme for farmed seafood, the organisation says that it has seen a 144% increase in Scottish salmon farms applying for certification in the last year with market demand being behind this increase, says ASC CEO Chris Ninnes.

“The availability of ASC certified salmon products in the UK has increased by 61% in the last year alone, and threequarters of UK consumers associate the ASC label with trust and sustainability,” says Chris Ninnes.

“What’s clear is that salmon consumers want products which are in line with their values. They want to know that the fish they’re eating isn’t damaging the planet and has been raised with care for workers and communities. And retailers will follow their consumers’ values. With 16 more farms going through the initial audit stage right now, by this time next year it is possible that the number of Scottish salmon farmers who have achieved ASC certification will have doubled.”

With strong continued growth of ASC certification amongst Scottish producers - an increase of 1000% since 2017 - farmers can meet consumer and retail demand, ensuring that responsibly farmed Scottish salmon remains the salmon of choice for shoppers in the UK, the organisation point out.

ASC interviewed more than 12,000 consumers in 12 different countries about their perception and consumption of seafood. The findings were published in August 2022. ASC found out from their UK respondents that…

● 47% of those surveyed were aware of the ASC label,

● 84% of those surveyed associated the ASC label with trust,

● 72% of those surveyed associated the label with sustainability.

ASC requires farms to meet the strictest aquaculture criteria in the world to be certified, needing to prove responsible farming practices from the feed they buy and disease prevention, to environmental water standards and workers’ rights. If farms believe they meet these requirements, an independent certification body is sent to conduct the initial audit.

Demand for ASC labelled salmon products is growing at 61% year-on-year in the UK, they add. The Scottish salmon farming sector generated £766 million for the nation’s economy in 2021 – up 20% from 2019 – they observe, and could be worth up to £1 billion in a few years, according to industry body, Salmon Scotland.

Mowi was the first company in Scotland to achieve ASC certification for one of their farms. They now have 30 salmon farms certified or in initial audit stage. For the important role they play as part of the wider supply chain, they were also awarded the ASC Retail Supplier of the Year Award 2022.

Scottish Sea Farms and Bakkafrost Scotland are now also on board– the former with three farms certified and the latter with three farms certified or in initial audit stage– leading to the 144% increase in Scottish salmon farms applying for certification in the last year.

The ASC standards have been central to industry commitments to seeking independent verification of their environmental and social performance.

In 2013 a group, then representing 70% of the global farmed salmon industry, announced their commitment to sustainability as a path towards significant change as part of the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI). GSI members have chosen to benchmark their global performance by committing to achieving 100% of salmon production becoming ASC certified.

TACKLING OVER-FISHING WITH A PLANT-BASED ALTERNATIVE

Vgarden Ltd., an Israeli food tech developer and manufacturer of plant-based alternatives reports that it has launched what it claims is a game-changing vegan tinned tuna.

The 100% plant-derived product has the same appearance, texture, and flavour of the canned kitchen staple, claim the firm, the tuna analogue having been crafted to satisfy the appetites of the growing pool of sustainabilitydriven consumers by bringing to the table its creative response to the issue of the overfished and rapidly declining ocean populations of wild tuna, they report.

“Tinned tuna has a very distinct flaky, yet moist and chewy texture, with a powerful fresh-from-the sea aroma,” explains Ilan Adut, CEO of Vgarden.

“Our new tuna-like product is clean-label, scalable, affordable, and sustainable. But for our plant-based creation to serve as a true substitute, even beyond compellingly mimicking all of the sensory qualities, it also has to match tuna as much as possible in nutritional value.”

Following 12 months of experimentation with ingredients and processes, the start-up developed its winning plantbased tuna formula. The private-label product is already being rolled out in the retail and food service sectors and is available in two packaging formats - pouches for chilled storage and actual tins (to give the full authentic tuna experience and to facilitate non-chilled storage Vgarden’s R&D mission to develop a tuna that can be canned and sterilised at high temperatures, yet still retain its full flavour and texture, the company having filed a patent for the formula and process).

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

Vgarden’s tuna analogue is based on pea protein, with a total protein content of 11.2-14%, before and after filtration. It contains a short list of natural ingredients including fibres and sunflower oil.

“Aquaculture and the overfishing of this high in demand fish has had a devastating effect on their numbers to the point that it has put several species, such as the yellowfin and the Atlantic Bluefin, on the edge of extinction,” notes Tom Rothman, head of global sales at Vgarden.

“This not only poses problems in terms of food security but also negatively impacts the delicate and fragile balance of the marine environment. Our plant-based tuna solution can help turn the tide on this ecocatastrophe and contribute to the restoration of the ocean’s wild tuna populations.”

THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR

Tuna is the world’s most consumed fish, according to a UN report. The global tuna fish market is projected to grow from USD 41.06 billion in 2022 to USD 49.70 billion in 2029.

Canned tuna is a popular source of affordable protein that is convenient to store and requires no refrigeration. Europe and Asia are the leading buyers of canned tuna, with South America and the Middle East fast developing an appetite. Tuna’s popularity coincides with a major rise in ethically and ecologically motivated health-conscious consumers seeking plant-based seafood alternatives.

Vgarden say that their vegan tuna can be integrated into any traditional tuna-based recipe such as tuna mayo sandwiches, salads, toasts, pastas, sushi, pizza, and more. “Many food outlets are turning to our tuna analogue to create a classic tuna niçoise salad or a tuna pasta that will give its discerning flexitarian customers the full experience of the real thing,” adds Ilan Adut.