Attendees at the Seafood Carbon Collaboration which are working on the decarbonisation of the seafood industry
The Grimsby-based Seafood Grimsby & Humber Alliance recently conducted its first seafood decarbonisation workshop in London this past April.
The event, hosted by The Fishmongers’ Company, drew the participation of major UK retailers, food service providers, and seafood processors.
This workshop, facilitated by Dr. Henrietta Boyd, a Court Member of The Fishmongers’ Company and a specialist in the carbon industry, focused on the decarbonisation of the global supply chain, extending from the moment seafood is caught to its first point of landing and delivery in the UK. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from significant seafood processors such as Young’s Seafood, owned by Sofina Foods, and processors Chessington and Grimsby-based New England Seafoods. These companies outlined their efforts to identify and measure decarbonisation actions that all UK retailers and food service organisations can collaborate on.
One noteworthy achievement has been the advancement of the Seafish Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool, which remains on track for its planned launch in early December, starting with the wild fisheries component.
Key developments since April include:
Credibility: Seafish has enlisted the expertise of Blonk Sustainability Tools, a leading consultancy in sustainability tools and life-cycle assessment (LCA). They are the lead delivery partner for Seafish’s seafood emissions profiling tool project. The project is further supported by a UK Scientific Advisory Panel, which comprises eminent UK researchers specializing in aquaculture, wild capture, LCA, and mathematical modeling. The credibility of the tool was identified as a top priority during the initial consultations, and this verification process aims to enhance the tool’s trustworthiness and reinforce its methodology and results.
Consultation: The project has involved engaging and productive design workshops with industry stakeholders. Continued industry involvement, including beta-testing through user groups starting next month, is expected to be pivotal to the tool’s overall success. The development stages of the tool have already seen a high level of engagement, with suggestions from participants that have further improved the tool.
Alignment: Seafish has initiated extensive outreach throughout the UK seafood supply chain to rally strong industry support behind a single, user-friendly profiling tool with a transparent methodology and consistent measurement. The responses received have been exceedingly positive, and ongoing industry involvement, including beta-testing starting in November, is anticipated to be crucial to the tool’s success.
Launch: The wild capture component of the tool is scheduled to be launched in early December 2023, with the full tool (including aquaculture) set to be introduced in March 2024.
Next Steps
An event slated for early next year will mark the launch of the initial phase of the emissions profiling tool, focusing on wild capture. The event will also explore the future steps to further decarbonize the seafood sector.
