English aquaculture ‘could grow tenfold’

AN industry body has set out an ambitious plan to grow aquaculture in England tenfold by 2040.The English Aquaculture Strategy (EAS), commissioned by the Seafood 2040 (SF2040) Industry Leadership Group, says that production in England can be increased by around 90,000 tonnes over the next two decades.

The report was produced by Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management facilitated by the Sea Fish Industry Authority and supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It says the targets can be achieved through a combination of “expansion, innovation, integration and proportionate regulation”. The EAS, the report says, will be implemented through action at regional and national level, including provincial initiatives such as the Dorset Mariculture Strategy.

Aquaculture in England employs just over 1,000 people and produces a turnover of £26 million annually, making it a poor relation to both aquaculture in Scotland and the English wild fishing industry. Among the factors inhibiting growth, the paper cites competition for space and resources in a densely populated country; negative public perception; “an opaque and sometimes highly precautionary approach to aquaculture authorisations”; limited consumer demand; and vulnerability of marine shellfish to poor water quality.

The paper sees opportunities arising from the limits on potential wild catch levels in future, a more risk-based approach to planning shellfish production and government encouragement for an industry that has a small carbon footprint and offers food security.The English Marine Plans and their more detailed local interpretation are identified as the primary mechanism for identifying areas for potential sustainable growth in the sector.

In her foreword to the strategy document, Victoria Prentis, minister for farming, fisheries and food says:

“It is my sincere hope that it [the EAS] will help the sector take advantage of the opportunities that will result in a sustainable and thriving future.”

The English Aquaculture Strategy can be downloaded from the Seafish website at www.seafish.org/