A campaign has been launched to try to get consumers to eat more local fish and support British fishermen.
‘A Taste of Salt’, which focuses on Plymouth’s fishing industry, comes as part of a campaign encouraging the port city’s residents to rediscover its locally landed fare and celebrate its fishing fleet.
Research conducted by Plymouth Fishing & Seafood Association and Meor Studio found 61% of residents did not know where to buy locally caught fish, whilst 68% mistakenly believed the city’s Fish Quay was closed.
Plymouth, which ranks fourth nationally by landings, landed £316,000 of fish in January, with a live weight of 91 tonnes, but those numbers have declined 12% and 38% respectively on what they were at the same time last year, according to Defra data.
“Fishing is central to Plymouth’s story,” councillor Tudor Evans, leader of Plymouth City Council, said. “Our fleet remains an important part of the city’s economy and culture, and many residents want to support it.”
Read more: British consumers want to eat more British fish, study finds
The film’s launch event on 12 March brought together fishermen, local businesses, policymakers and members of the community to watch it and take part in a panel discussion exploring how people can be encouraged to eat locally landed seafood.
Among the ideas raised during the panel, there were calls for clearer provenance and branding for locally landed seafood, and improved access to local fish through initiatives like the PFSA’s virtual fish market.
Consumers were also told to try lesser-known British species, and for restaurants and retailers to work more closely with fishermen.
According to the government’s Food Security Report, the UK imports around 90% of the seafood it consumes, relying heavily on overseas supply for species such as cod, haddock and tuna. However, a recent University of East Anglia study found 40% of consumers were willing to experiment with fish they had never tried before.
Evans added: “Campaigns like this help people understand where their local fish comes from and how they can support those working in the industry.”
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