Seafood鈥檚 central role in the government鈥檚 food strategy has been welcomed in the 海角视频鈥檚 fish processing capital.
The sector and the town鈥檚 position as the leading hub for the industry was flagged up in the policy paper, released this week by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
It aims to deliver a 鈥減rosperous agri-food and seafood sector to ensure secure food supply in an unpredictable world, while contributing to the levelling-up agenda鈥. The huge impact and response to the Covid pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine were also highlighted, with Secretary of State George Eustice - no stranger to the seafood cluster - laying out plans for 鈥渉ealthier, more home-grown and affordable diets for all鈥.
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In the strategy, described as the 鈥渂eginning of this conversation鈥 and building on action already being taken, he said: 鈥淪eafood is another potentially lower-carbon and healthy source of protein which can grow sustainably to fulfil its potential within the food sector. We are investing 拢24 million to support seafood science and innovation as part of the 拢100 million 海角视频 Seafood Fund. This will include funding projects that develop innovation and technology in the seafood space.
鈥淚nnovations in aquaculture will also help us boost production in the seafood sector without adding to pressure on fish stocks. The fund also includes at least 拢65 million for an infrastructure scheme, investing in ports, and aquaculture and processing facilities for the seafood industry, to help support coastal communities.
鈥淭he seafood sector is an essential source of employment and part of the community in the Humber and has an important role to play in levelling-up. Grimsby is England鈥檚 leading fish processing hub, accounting for around a third of all 海角视频 seafood processing jobs. It has a rich heritage in producing and processing high quality seafood that the nation loves, including Traditional Grimsby Smoked Fish.
"The Seafood Grimsby and Humber Alliance represents the region鈥檚 seafood and trading processing cluster, which is composed of around 70 companies with more than 5,500 employees and that together support a further 10,000 jobs along the value chain. The Grimsby cluster, working closely with government, will play an important role in ensuring the sector can take advantage of new trade deals, adapt to climate change, and increase uptake of skills training to ensure the cluster has the right people to continue to provide quality seafood to the 海角视频 and beyond.鈥
It comes after a few days of civic celebration around the 25th anniversary of the Grimsby-held Seafood Chef of the Year competition, with stars of the sector converging on the town, as The Fishmongers鈥 Company - the liveried sector standard-bearer celebrating 750 years - backs the cluster.
Simon Dwyer, secretariat of Grimsby Fish Merchants鈥 Association, is a leading figure in the cluster administration.
He said: 鈥淲e have put a lot of hard work into building bridges with Defra, getting them to understand what Grimsby is about, the cluster, the money we won, and it has resonated with them.
鈥淭he NHS recommends two portions of seafood a week, it is sustainable and the more people that eat seafood the better it is for Grimsby.
鈥淲e鈥檙e currently averaging 1.16 portions a week - if we can improve that it will only be good for us.
鈥淲e want to partner with Defra around making seafood as affordable as possible. We want build further links with those behind the British caught fish, and we already are. We bring up fish caught in the South West every week, all types of different species, and we鈥檙e becoming a distribution network.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to build on this and we appreciate the support from The Fishmongers鈥 Company and Seafish."
海角视频 Food Valley welcome for food strategy
Greater Lincolnshire's '海角视频 Food Valley' entity has also welcomed the .
Sarah Louise Fairburn, chair of the ., said: "As the Food Strategy notes, the seafood sector is an essential source of employment in the Humber region and has an important role to play in levelling up. Grimsby is England鈥檚 leading fish processing hub, accounting for around a third of all 海角视频 seafood processing jobs, and it has a rich heritage in producing and processing high-quality seafood that the nation loves.
"The strategy adds that the Grimsby seafood cluster, working closely with Government, will play an important role in ensuring the sector can take advantage of new trade deals, adapt to climate change, and increase uptake of skills training to ensure the cluster has the right people to continue to provide quality seafood to the 海角视频 and beyond.
鈥淭he recommendation to increase fish production through aquaculture is also in line with our plans and aquaculture proposition published in 2021."
She was also keen to see the technological developments on patch being recognised as vital.
"We are pleased to see recognition of the need to increase 海角视频 food production and to automate to help enable this, as has been spearheaded by the team at the University of Lincoln led by Professor Simon Pearson," Ms Fairburn said.
鈥淲e welcome the recommendations to increase the production of vegetables, salad and fruit as promoted in our fresh produce investment proposition, a sector where Greater Lincolnshire is home to 海角视频-leading production, trading and distribution clusters."
She added: 鈥淲e look forward to working across the food chain to deliver on the Food Strategy, and to reading the Health White Paper expected later this year which aims to tackle some of the 海角视频鈥檚 health challenges.鈥
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