Retailers can breathe a sigh of relief as a summer follow-up to Hugh's Fish Fight looks set to take a more positive tone than the three-part series in January.

Keo Films the production company behind Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Hugh's Fish Fight series, which ran on Channel 4 from 11 to 13 January has commenced filming for the ­follow-up, dubbed by the ­industry as Fish Fight 2.

Since the January series aired, consumer behaviour had changed and retailers had responded to that, Will Anderson, the Keo Films series producer and director behind Hugh's Fish Fight, told The Grocer. "We're currently talking to all the retailers about how that's affected their habits."

The stories that would be told in the next instalment would be positive, he added. "We admire and are pleased that some of the big companies have made these big announcements about their buying policies and we want to give them the credit they deserve."

Some filming for Fish Fight 2 has already taken place at a meeting about discards on 3 February, attended by retailers, seafood processors and industry bodies, as well as Maria Damanaki, EU commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries.

Damanaki's spokesman was, however, unable to confirm whether she would ultimately feature in the programme. "We are in touch with them on a regular basis we might do something together," he said.

The programme would "reflect the work that's already going on to reduce discards" and look at Defra's Project 50%, which used selective fishing gear to cut discards by 56%, as well as Defra's catch quota scheme piloted in the North Sea last year, added Anderson.

He could not reveal whether Tesco would be featured or whether there would be any follow-up on the salmon industry but said: "We're unlikely to have time to break new ground. It's not going to be too self-congratulatory."

The programme is likely to air in the summer.

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