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MORE than 100 seafood leaders arrived in Grimsby today for the Humber Seafood Summit, expressing a new message of optimism about the future of the UK seafood industry.
Wynne Griffiths, chairman of the Humber Seafood Group, said: "There is no doubt that things are very tough out there in the real world with rising raw material costs and the current state of the economy.
"But it will not last forever and here in Grimsby we have some very exciting projects under way at the moment such as the £1-million upgrade of the Grimsby Fish Market, the new seafood village along with investment in new seafood factories.
Anita Barker, manager director of Coldwater Seafoods, the main sponsors of the event, welcomed delegates last night with the message that the seafood summit was working together for the good of the entire UK seafood industry.
Ms Barker, who is also vice chairman of the Humber Seafood Group, said the region had a lot to celebrate, adding: "We are determined to drive forward the future success of the area and our seafood and food industry." She said the summit would now become an annual event.
This year the summit includes a strong aquaculture element for the first time with three speaker talking about fish farming. A large audience is expected to listen to Leendert van Hollander, chief executive of Young's Seafood, who will be talking about taking fishing reforms forward and doing the right thing for the consumer.
Richard Luney from Marks & Spencer is also delivering a speech entitled: "Forever Fish".
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