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Seafish, the authority on seafood, has announced autumn dates for landmark discussions about the future of Seafish, in support of the four Fisheries Administrations.
Topics to be covered will include: the core role and strategic objectives of Seafish; proposed models for the organisation’s future structure, funding and governance arrangements between Seafish, its government sponsors and industry.
These meetings provide an opportunity for anyone involved in the industry to express critical views about Seafish’s future direction, which will have a significant impact on the structure and operations of the organisation.
The industry engagement workshops will be held throughout the UK during October, jointly hosted by Seafish and representatives of the four Fisheries Administrations. Those involved in the UK fishing industry are invited to attend and contribute.
The workshop dates and venues are as follows:
Location Date Time Venue
Cardiff 13th October 0930-1300 Park Plaza Hotel
Glasgow 18th October 0930-1300 Erskine Bridge Hotel
Plymouth 18th October 0930-1300 Legacy International Hotel
Grimsby 19th October 1300-1630 Humber Seafood Institute
London 20th October 1000-1230 Fishmongers Hall
Newcastle, Co Down 25th October 0930-1300 Burrendale Hotel, Newcastle, Co Down
Edinburgh 26th October 1000-1230 Norton House Hotel
Aberdeen 27th October 1300-1630 Thistle Aberdeen Airport
Dr Paul Williams, Seafish chief executive, said: “We are looking forward to meeting with industry representatives throughout the UK next month and hearing opinions on shaping the future of Seafish. We welcome the fact that the Fisheries Administrations have initiated this discussion, which offers an excellent opportunity for industry to get involved in shaping the future of Seafish. This process should ensure that Seafish continues to evolve and meet the needs of the modern seafood industry.
“Despite being severely hampered by the recent court case, we made real progress in our key themed areas of work in the last year, providing an estimated £4 million of value to industry.
In June 2011, the Supreme Court handed down judgment in favour of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) which confirmed the legal basis for Seafish’s ongoing funding, via a levy collection from industry.
“With the court case now firmly behind us," said Dr Williams, "we are focused on continuing to provide industry with tangible and real benefit for its investment in Seafish. We have recently announced £1.7 million worth of funding through our Industry Project Fund which will support various projects across the spectrum of industry.”
The four UK administrations have now published a review of Seafish which was carried out by Peter Cleasby and finalised in March 2010. This ‘Cleasby Review’ was not published at the time given the legal challenge from Bloomsbury International Group. Although now slightly outdated, it will provide background information and stimulate constructive discussion on the future of Seafish during the coming months.
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