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THE head of Young's, Britain's largest seafood company, said the most important person in the business was the consumer - and the industry needed to connect to that person.
Chief executive Leendert den Hollander told the Humber Seafood conference that the consumer "chooses when to buy , how to buy and what to buy".
"Whether we are producers, fishmongers or retailers it is the consumer who connects us all."
Mr den Hollander said fish was a massive business with over three billion fish-based meals eaten every year. The UK processing sector also supported 15,000 jobs, many of them in Grimsby.He continued: "Compared to other proteins fish is in an excellent place from a health point of view.
"People have been told to eat at least two fish meals a week - which in effect is a free advertisement to our industry from the government."
He said that recent research had shown that around 80 per cent of the population would like to eat more fish and it was still more popular among the older section of the population.
"This means we need to connect with the young. Also not everyone is comfortable with preparing and cooking fish, so it is our responsibility as processors to make it easier for people to cook fish. The public just need a little bit of help.
The Young's research had also shown that people were willing to try new species such as Pollock and coley.However, people still held a number of myths about fish. For example, the same research had shown that one in ten children surveyed believed haddock was a plant, and one in ten adults thought John Dory was a United States election candidate.
Mr den Hollander said: "We need to demystify fish because 40 per cent of UK people never cook it. People know a lot about cows, but very little about fish."
He also said sustainability was very important which was one of the reasons Young's had launched its 'Fish For Life' policy and logo.
"We are 200 years old and if we want to be in the business for another 200 years then we have to do it right.
"We want to encourage and support good practice throughout our supply chain. It is all about trust, but we must earn that trust."
Mr den Hollander said aquaculture would play an increasingly important part in the future of the industry, and therefore it was also important to get that sector right.
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