As part of our 750th Anniversary, ‘Mark Quested Legacy Scholarships’ were awarded to students at both Cambridge and Oxford. In early June, Cambridge recipient Megan Walker from Murray Edwards College came to London to present her work at the 53rd Annual Shellfish Association of Great Britain Conference. The conference, held this year at the Crown Estate in Piccadilly, featured a range of speakers including Mark Spencer MP, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, academics, retailers, and shell fishers, providing a broad introduction to the real world of the shellfish industry, and many networking opportunities for the students.
Megan is pictured with fellow student Jessa Garibay-Yayen, who is part funded by our Fisheries Targeted Academic Sponsorship Programme. Both our Cambridge seafood scholars had the opportunity to meet the Prime Warden and experience the hospitality of Fishmongers’ at the SAGB annual conference banquet, which we hosted at the Hall on the evening of June 6th, 2023.
Megan’s study focuses on the question “Can Seafood Help Supply the Micronutrients Needed in the First 1000 Days of Life?” while Jessa is focused on “Behaviour Change Study Towards Healthier and More Sustainable Seafood Options“.
Our Targeted Academic Sponsorship Programme pairs students and early career professionals with industry, universities and NGOs to respond to the most pressing and relevant issues facing the sector. Strong communication surrounding sustainability is essential to enabling consumers to make informed and responsible choices. As part of this programme, the Company has been able to support The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), who accredit sustainable practice in fisheries across the globe, in recruiting a Social Media and Communications intern, to help share this important information. Here, Abigail Spink talks through some of her achievements during her time at the MSC and how this experience will help her build a career in fisheries communications.
Joining the MSC UK & Ireland team as Social Media and Communications Intern has opened my eyes to the exciting and hugely important world of sustainable fishing. I’ve learnt how marketing and communications can be used strategically to encourage people to consume responsibly sourced seafood, which really makes a difference to the health of our oceans.
Throughout my time at the MSC, I have supported across the MarComms team on both key campaigns and day-to-day activity. This has included creating social media content for our main channels, providing website updates (with a particular focus on updating our fisheries spotlight and blog pages), writing press releases, assisting on photoshoots, and much more.
Andrew Bremner, Scottish haddock fisherman
One of the highlights for me was supporting on our New Year Ocean Cookbook campaign, where we developed a digital cookbook filled with 12 sustainable recipes featuring the fishers who had caught each of the species involved. This included Andrew Bremner from the SFSAG Scottish haddock fishery in Scotland, who supplied the fish for Mitch Tonks’ haddock recipe. It was great to be part of such a successful and thought-provoking campaign, and even better to see my first press release land in a fishing trade magazine and our social media followers interact positively with each of the recipes we promoted across our channels (I’d highly recommend the anchovy pesto pasta!)
Mitch Tonk’s haddock with fennel & olives
Before beginning the internship programme with the MSC, I knew I wanted to put my writing and creativity skills to use in a team that is passionate about the ocean environment and enacting positive change, and I’ve definitely been able to do so, especially with the support of fantastic colleagues and the sponsorship from the Fishmongers’ Company. I feel confident that my time at the MSC has given me the skills needed to kickstart a career in comms, particularly within the marine sector, and I’m excited for what the future holds!
HRH The Princess Royal, Court Member and past Prime Warden of the Fishmongers’ Company, visited Plymouth on Monday 25th October to learn more about its nationally-important seafood industry and its pioneering efforts to protect and enhance the marine environment.
The visit included a tour of the city’s Fish Market to understand the role it plays in supporting hundreds of livelihoods and supplying businesses across the South West and beyond.
The Princess Royal was also taken by boat across Plymouth Sound, home to the UK’s first National Marine Park, which the Company was fundamental in founding, where she learned about research into the environmental impacts of the shellfish industry and the habitat preferences of commercially important fish species.
The visit on Monday was arranged by the Fishmongers’ Company in conjunction with the Lord Lieutenant of Devon, Plymouth City Council, the University of Plymouth, Plymouth Trawler Agents and Sutton Harbour Group.
During the day, The Princess Royal toured the Fish Market managed by Plymouth Trawler Agents where she met fishers, processors, stallholders and merchants. She also heard about the market’s electronic auction system, and took part in a mock auction to see how each morning’s catch is not only landed but also sold.
The Princess Royal also met officials from Devon-based firm Tecmarine and learned about its efforts, supported by the Fishmongers’ Company, to use remote electronic monitoring as part of Blue Marine’s SAFEGEAR project, which helps to tackle issues caused by lost fishing equipment, also known as ghost gear.
In the afternoon, she visited the University’s Marine Station where she heard about its world-leading marine research and pioneering industry partnerships.
She then joined researchers and students on board RV Falcon Spirit and was told about ongoing work to assess the impact of the UK’s largest mussel farm, owned by Offshore Shellfish Ltd, on the Lyme Bay Marine Protected Area. This research has been supported by the Company’s Fisheries Targeted Academic Sponsorship Programme.
Researchers also explained how cutting edge underwater video and acoustic technology is being used to monitor the National Marine Park and fish habitats right across the English Channel.
Andrew Wallace, Fisheries Director of The Fishmongers’ Company, said: “It was a pleasure to join HRH The Princess Royal, in Plymouth to learn more about the valuable contributions the local fishing fleet and seafood trade make to the region’s economy and surrounding communities. This was followed by a fascinating afternoon exploring the University of Plymouth’s marine research which, supported by the Company, is improving our understanding of how local mussel farms are boosting the health of our marine ecosystems.”
Identifying the range of fish species present in our aquatic ecosystems is an essential part of understanding the health of our lakes, rivers and oceans. Environmental DNA (eDNA), genetic material obtained directly from soil, air or water samples, is one method of ascertaining the range of species present, however in river systems, large volumes of water and currents can make this method challenging for identifying fishes..
Jane filtering samples at the Datchet site.
Supported by our Fisheries Targeted Academic Sponsorship Programme, Jane Hallam, a PhD student at University College London, has been comparing eDNA water samples from the River Thames with historical records of fish assemblages to assess the accuracy of eDNA in identifying the range of fish and freshwater species in London’s river.
Jane compared Environment Agency records with new eDNA sampling at 35 sites along the Thames from both the freshwater and estuarine stretches. In the freshwater sites, Jane was able to identify all 16 species recorded by the Environment Agency, plus another six species that had not been previously identified. Her results suggest that, in this environment, eDNA provides a more accurate indication of which freshwater species are present, providing better information about what swims beneath the surface in the upper reaches of the artery of our largest city.
Downstream, in the turbid, tidal, estuarine regions, her results were more mixed. Jane’s eDNA method identified 72% of the species recorded by the Environment Agency, missing out on five that have previously been captured, but she also identified seven additional species not on current records, including brown trout and the protected sea lamprey. While further work will be needed to improve the accuracy of eDNA in turbid environments like the tidal Thames, Jane’s research advances our understanding of how DNA can be used to shed light on the ecology of large river systems and the species who live there.
Every year,
we help support interns and postgraduate students who are working to build
careers is the fisheries sector.
Our Targeted Academic Sponsorship hopes to give budding scientists and practitioners the hands-on experience and contacts they need to step forward and become the next generation of fisheries managers, researchers, farmers, advisers and seafood leaders. Here we are happy to introduce some of 2020’s recipients, who, despite the logistical challenges of lock down, interruptions to experiments, limits to site access and cancellations of face-to-face meetings, are all continuing to work full-time towards their goals. They continue to inspire us with their energy and enthusiasm, as they bring new knowledge to the UK’s seafood sector.
Thank you to the following for their contributions to this video: Sophie Corrigan, University of Exeter; Mairi Fenton, Heriot-Watt University; Matthew Hill, Pontus; Alex McGoran, Natural History Museum & Royal Holloway, University of London; Chelsea Broughton, University of Stirling; Dr Nick Lake, Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers.
The Fishmongers’ Company works to safeguard and develop healthy marine and freshwater environments and the fisheries and aquaculture industries that depend on them. Through its Targeted Academic Sponsorship programme, the Company builds skills and capacity within these areas, filling gaps in knowledge and understanding, and providing opportunities for career development. The programme provides funding for PhD and master’s students as well as supporting paid internships in partner organisations that lack resources and internal capacity.
Recipients are also invited to join the Company’s Fisheries Alumni Network, fostering long-term collaboration among those who have received funding from The Company. Here we hear from two of our alumni, Matthew Spencer, now of the Marine Conservation Society and Alex McGoran, a PhD student with Royal Holloway University and the Natural History Museum, to find out how funding from the Company has supported their careers and their contribution to the fisheries sector.
Can you tell us more about your respective projects? What have been the major achievements?
Matthew: The crux of my internship was to increase the Environmental Defense Fund’s understanding of the UK seafood sector and identify key areas of interest through an industry report into the state of the UK seafood sector and a condensed five-page handout for those with interests in the sector.
Alex: My project focuses on the transfer of microplastics up the Thames food web. Dissections of invertebrates, fish and stranded seals will provide evidence for plastic ingestion at all levels of the food web. Thus far, the focus has been on sample collection, with trawl and sediment samples being taken and two seal necropsies performed.
Alex dissects a fish as she looks for evidence of plastics moving up the food chain
How have you benefited from your funding from the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust (FCFCT)? What new skills, experiences and opportunities have the funding enabled?
Matthew: I have greatly developed personally and professionally as a result of my internship. As someone with a great deal of previous field experience, the opportunity to understand the workings of an office-type environment has been crucial. I have significantly improved my skills in organising and implementing projects and my self-confidence through chairing high-level meetings and contributing to industry-leading forums.
Alex: I have been given the opportunity to learn a large range of scientific methods including dissections and sediment cores. I have also developed my communication skills through several conferences and outreach events offered by the Natural History Museum or funded by the FCFCT. The funding has also enabled me to attend Micro2018, an international microplastics conference, and the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology annual meeting in Scotland.
How has the Targeted Academic Sponsorship programme supported your career progression?
Alex: The financial contributions of Fishmongers’ Company have helped me make contacts that will provide opportunities for collaboration and pathways to future jobs. The support is essential for the completion of my PhD study, and boat time would not have been affordable without Fishmongers’ contribution. By exploring the movement of microplastics through the food web and increasing my sample collection capabilities, I can develop more skills and produce a better thesis, ultimately helping me in getting a post-doc or moving into industry.
Matthew, on site with the MSC at the Irish Rope Grown Mussel Farm
Matthew: The opportunity to intern with the Environmental Defense Fund due to the generosity of FCFCT’s Targeted Academic Sponsorship programme has given me the career I have had to date. Through their support, I was able to secure permanent employment at a globally leading environmental NGO and help break the unfortunate cycle in which many graduates find themselves: working part-time to save for voluntary experiences for career development and then returning to part time work (a garden centre and a pub in my case). Through this programme I was able to develop many of the core skills needed to progress in the environmental & fisheries sector and am now working at the Marine Stewardship Council. None of this would have been possible without the FCFCT and I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity. I hope many more will continue to benefit from such a great programme!
