Editor’s Welcome

This issue of ar er contains rather a lot of Brexit-related content And unapologetically so, since the end of the Brexit transition period and the start of the UK’s new relationship with Europe are proving to have many implications for seafood producers.

In this magazine we hear from the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation on the importance of reliable trade for its members, and Sandy Neil looks at how the first few weeks of this year worked out for the sector, as exporters battled with fresh paperwork, IT glitches and the continuing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nicki Holmyard also gives a first-hand account of what it’s been like for a shellfish business trying to get product across the Channel in the face of what seem to be constantly shifting rules, or interpretations of the rules.

Unlike a pandemic, the post-Brexit difficulties arise out of human decisions and it is hard to avoid asking why we only had a joint taskforce on the issue after the event. That said, we can but hope that the politics around this issue does not get in the way of finding practical solutions to these problems.

Meanwhile, the February issue also focuses on land-based fish farming and hatcheries. A huge amount of investment is going into this sector worldwide, and we take a look at what is driving the rush from the sea to the land.

This month’s topics also include the never-ending struggle to deal with the problem of sea lice; a new campaign to get more seafood on everyone’s menu; and seaweed’s advantages as a crop that can help absorb carbon and, therefore, play its part in tackling climate change.