Understanding and responding to climate change in the UK seafood industry

This report is a review of climate change adaptation for UK domestic and international (wild capture) seafood, performed by Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) in collaboration with key partners, for the UK Government under the Climate Change Adaptation Reporting Power.

The report considers the major industry impacts arising from key climate change drivers and sets out major areas of adaptation action. The study aimed to support the UK seafood industry to develop a managed adaptive approach to climate change. Two objectives were set out – i) provide a review of projected climate change impacts with implications for seafood, and ii) identify relevant seafood industry adaptation responses. Focussing on UK wild capture seafood (domestic and international), the exercise relied on research evidence and industry experience (engaging around 40 stakeholders).

The Seafish review concluded that climate change was a challenge for UK seafood, but the industry considers it a “low priority” relative to other risks.

Progressive advances in understanding and industry experience of climate change drivers and impacts are reported in successive watching briefs (2017 and 2018) considering new scientific evidences collated through the MCCIP initiative and by collecting feedback from UK industry stakeholders.