SAGB 43rd Annual Conference

Richard Benyon MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural

Environment & Fisheries

The UK’s shellfish and marine aquaculture industries are ideally placed to meet the growing

demand for seafood, but a much more innovative, industry-led approach will be crucial to their

long-term success, said Richard Benyon MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural

Environment & Fisheries in the opening session of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain’s 43rd

Annual Conference.

Benyon was sharing his vision of where he would like the shellfish and marine aquaculture

industries to be in 10 years time. “It’s my wish to see a healthy, sustainable shellfish and

aquaculture industry that makes more of its wonderful products,” he said.

The minister highlighted that UK vessels landed £266m of shellfish in 2010 and farmed shellfish

supplied a further £26m. He said it is very important that the UK government recognises this huge

contribution.

“We have a solid, viable, economic base on which to build. I know that much of the shellfish is

exported so as well as contributing to UK exports I would like to see us being able to sell more

products locally. Instead of the value-added profit going to restaurateurs in other countries, I wish

we could see a boost to our own, local economy. I can’t understand why local restaurants aren’t

fighting over landings of shellfish. I want to work with you to find new ways in which we can unlock

the fruits of our sea to more of our indigenous people and less to line the pockets of value-added

markets elsewhere,” he said.

“The shellfish and marine aquaculture industries tick all the right boxes in terms of government

policy - from boosting exports to health. There’s a great future ahead, which doesn’t rely solely on

government think tanks and regulations. I want the innovators to show the way.

“Let’s do some maths: the FSA recommends that we all eat two portions of fish or shellfish per

week; we also know that the population of the UK will be 71m by 2035. That means that about 20m

more portions of fish and shellfish will be required every week in this country by then if we are to

meet the FSA’s recommendation. That’s a huge challenge for this industry and the government.”

Benyon said he would like to see the Aquaculture Consultation Group and the industry take

ownership and create actions to promote the growth of aquaculture.

“There’s certainly a great opportunity for growth over the next 10 years – developing new markets

and exploiting new opportunities, such as using wind farms as hubs for sustainable aquaculture.”

The minister referred to a report he had received from John Bignell of the Centre for Environment,

Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), who had recently returned from a Travelling Fellowship

to New Zealand where he investigated how the country had developed its own strategy for a

successful aquaculture industry.

In his report, Bignell says that aquaculture would become the most aggressive source of fish and

shellfish production in the coming decades and that one of the key ways New Zealand had increased

production was through greater aquaculture consultation.

According to Benyon, Bignell’s report says the development of an industry-led consultation strategy

that incorporates a marketing perspective and implementation of an industry representative

organisation that unites the aquaculture industry creates an environment that allows aquaculture

to thrive. The study adds that a comprehensive research strategy is essential to ensure future

sustainable growth and development.

“This is insight from a country that is achieving great growth in the shellfish aquaculture

production and across the whole industry,” said Benyon. “I would like our shellfish industry to take

a similar, innovative, industry-led approach.

“The SAGB plays a critical role in this – in shifting government policy and working with the industry

to take ownership of solutions. I want to work closely with the SAGB to improve shellfish

management, including stock assessment.”

The minister conceded that many issues take “too much time to resolve fully” and that Defra is “in a

hurry” to see change, but he said there are a number of excellent examples of where the

government and the shellfish industry have worked closely together.

“Over the last year, we have been looking at possible pre-emptive management measures that could

be introduced to safeguard brown crab and wider shellfish stocks. I would like to thank the SAGB

for its contribution to this work, particularly the openness in considering new, radical ideas.”

Benyon also revealed the responses received from the consultation on inshore fisheries

management, which included shellfish management options, however others didn’t share the

SAGB’s enthusiasm for exploring the management approach. The minister said it had always been

clear that a staged management approach would only work with the full support of the fishermen

that manage it.

“We therefore need to continue the dialogue to find an approach for effort control which they can

own,” he said. “I am looking to you to put forward policy ideas. I know the SAGB supports

legislation like the catching of berried lobsters and increasing the national landing size of lobsters

and brown crab. We have the potential to implement measures for increasing the long-term

viability of these important fisheries.

“I really want to see if we can make this work without imposing yet another form of control and

regulation on fishermen. Regulations alone are not the way forward. I encourage the SAGB and the

industry to work with us to identify voluntary measures to safeguard stocks.”

Benyon also said “I’m delighted to be able to officially announce that a pilot project, to provide ‘live’

water quality information at shellfish farms will be going ahead. Defra and the Cleaner Seas Forum,

which I chair, are very supportive of this project”.

Looking ahead, Benyon said Cefas will be sharing stock assessments with fishermen and working

with them to evaluate the effectiveness of possible management measures. Furthermore, Cefas has

also been running a sampling programme since last year that looks at the population structure of

commercial fisheries in order to help develop a long-term approach to managing them.

“Stock assessments take time but provide thorough evidence which is vital to management. When

talking to the shellfish industry this is key to moving forward. I see every vessel as a scientific

platform for the collection of the data that we need. I think the SAGB shares my enthusiasm for

developing a strong evidence approach.

“To conclude, I encourage you to take a greater role in the future. The government will work with

you and encourage you because we want you to produce more shellfish and more aquaculture

products for export and for our own domestic use. It’s a clear joint vision that takes scientific

evidence and innovative marketing, and I am confident that in 10 years time, when we look back at

this decade we will reflect on the successes of a vibrant, sustainable shellfish and marine

aquaculture sector,” said Benyon.

[ENDS/JH/May 2012]