Over the past two years in partnership with the Seafood Grimsby and Humberside Alliance, the Company has been supporting the seafood processing sector to develop the skills of its future leaders through an industry focused careers programme which has now run in Grimsby and Scotland.
This programme was featured this year’s Responsible Seafood Summit, co-hosted by Seafood Scotland in St Andrews, where the special session ‘Seafood Needs Talent’, showcased training offerings provided to young industry leaders in the UK to a global audience. Lauren Flett from the large Grimsby-based whitefish wholesaler Fastnet spoke about her experiences in the programme, which is supported by the Company’s Fisheries Trust.
Lauren said “I’m thrilled to have participated in the careers programme in Grimsby. The Future Seafood Leaders course was incredibly educational; hearing from experts across every part of the seafood industry opened my eyes to the wide range of career paths available. I’ve been able to bring new insights back to Fastnet and apply them directly to my work. Presenting in front of a global audience at St. Andrews has been truly inspiring, and I’m excited to use my deeper industry knowledge to support our UK operations. This experience has fuelled my passion for the future, sparking an eagerness to keep learning. I’m very grateful for this opportunity and believe that all companies should invest in young talent to help secure the future of the seafood industry”.
Our modern membership shine in industry fora in connection to our namesake trade
The business of seafood is complex and global, and while it’s hard to imagine the similarities between wild capture fisheries in Namibia and Iceland, or prawn farms in the USA and Vietnam, scratch the surface and there is much in common across the world, with sustainably, worker rights, animal welfare, processing, value adding, and marketing all presenting opportunities to share knowledge, collaborate and improve the sector. Members of our Livery are embedded in this global industry, and often feature in media and industry press and events, leading dialogue around the future and sustainability credentials of the seafood sector.
This October, members took centre stage among conference highlights at this year’s Responsible Seafood Summit, co-hosted by Seafood Scotland in St Andrews.
Liveryman Libby Woodhatch detailed her work improving global and local fisheries to achieve sustainability objectives and zero waste. Liveryman Kara Brydson showcased her towards NetZero UK fishing vessels, and Liveryman John Goodlad advised on sustainable ocean investment as part of an interesting panel discussion on the place of Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies in the seafood sector.
Also this October, Liveryman and oyster farmer Dr Andy Woolmer and Freeman and Chief Executive of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain David Jarrad could be caught on the West Coast of Scotland embedded in the annual Scottish Shellfish Growers Conference, where David was involved in the serious business of judging the best Scottish oysters and mussels for 2024.
The work of our Fisheries Charitable Trust popped up in many places at both conferences, including in contribution to the new Seafood Carbon Calculator tool, in supporting knowledge exchanges and scientific studies, and fostering education and academic engagement with our namesake trade.
© The Fishmongers’ Company 2024
