Demand remains high for seafood, annual report shows

The UK’s only annual report which offers an analysis of seafood data across the entire supply chain from catch to plate has been published.

UK Seafood in Numbers 2024, created by Seafish, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry, presents data from catching, processing, trade, food service and retail to provide a snapshot of performance across all parts of the seafood supply chain.

Seafood in Numbers is one of a suite of insight reports designed by Seafish to provide an accurate picture of how the different parts of the industry are performing.

Users can take a deeper dive into the different areas using reports including the annual Economics of the UK Fishing Fleet Report, Seafood Processing Survey, Seafood Supply Chain Report and the Seafood Trade Report.

This year’s Seafood in Numbers paints a positive picture for several sectors within the seafood industry and shows we continue to export much of what we catch while also importing a wide range of seafood to meet strong consumer demand.

Some key findings include:

• In 2024, the UK exported almost half a million tonnes of fish and shellfish worth nearly £2 billion, up 13-per-cent on the previous year. Much of that growth came from soaring demand for Scottish salmon and North Atlantic mackerel, with exports to France, the US and China all rising sharply.
• Imports increased by two per cent, reaching £3.8 billion in 2024. 
• Tuna saw the biggest rise, while favourites like cod, haddock and prawns remain staples in British kitchens.
• The UK fishing fleet landed more fish than last year - over 716,000 tonnes, mainly mackerel, herring and haddock.
• The total value of these landings rose to £828 million, reflecting healthy prices and a return to pre-pandemic activity for many fishing communities.