Relay initiative launches a voyage of discovery

T variety and uality of UK seafood is the focus of an ini�a�ve launched in April to raise public awareness. The UK Seafood Relay celebrates UK commercial fishing and the special coastal community behind it.

By collabora�ng with volunteers from around the country, the Relay will gather stories, photos and videos from key fishing towns to share with the Bri�sh public on a purpose-built, interac�ve map. The project, based around the Discover Seafood website discoverseafood.uk/uk-relay/, aims to foster a greater understanding of local seafood at a point in �me when support and recogni�on of the UK fishing industry is cri�cal.

The Relay local journalists, bloggers, photographers and filmmakers, both hobbyist and professional, the relay ‘adventurers’ will travel along the UK’s dynamic coastline to gather stories from fishmongers and fishermen, and share them with the online Discover Seafood community.

Gavin O’Donnell, Fisheries Programme Officer at the Fishmongers’ Company said: “The UK Seafood Relay will support Discover Seafood in its mission to educate the public about seafood, seasonality and sustainability, shining a light on the ‘faces of fishing’ that deserve to be put on the seafood map but as of yet remain ‘undiscovered.’ By telling the story of Bri�sh fish through the people and communi�es behind it, we want to encourage the public to support the UK’s rich fishing culture and turn to local, sustainably-caught, Bri�sh seafood in the wake of Brexit.”

Ka�e S�lwell, one of the relay’s first “adventurers”, said: “Taking part in the Relay has helped me to reconnect with the coastal community in my hometown. It’s a great privilege to be able to share the stories of the people making a living through fishing sustainably and to engage a new audience through storytelling and crea�vity. I’ve met so many interesting characters and have learnt so much about the people who land the catch on my plate!”