A NEW sustainability scoring system aimed at breaking through myths about the state of Britain's fisheries is to be unveiled at this week's Humber Seafood Summit in Grimsby.
Seafish, the industry authority, has been working on the online stock analysis tool, which Grimsby-based chief executive Dr Paul Williams said is based on "solid science," with strong interest from the major processors.
It comes as the event as a whole, the fifth annual gathering of leading industry minds in the award-winning cluster, will be used to whet the appetite for the World Seafood Congress, a huge international coup for the town, when it arrives in 2015.
In a three-pronged launch the organisation's latest film, The Business of Processing, will also be premiered.
Dr Williams, who put forward a staunch defence against sensational national headlines at the event two years ago, said: "We will be launching Rass – Risk Assessment for Sourcing Seafood – and the aim is to provide the main central resource for buyers looking to source seafood. It is not Seafish's job to say what should and what should not be done, we are giving it risk factors."
The online tool has been developed alongside Cefas – the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.
A one to five rating will be issued, with sustainability, management of stock, environmental impact and future prospects all under the microscope. It is hoped companies will then find a level they find acceptable and work to it.
"There is solid science behind it and that is really important," Dr Williams said. "We are working with senior figures in industry who think it is going to be really useful, and we hope retailers get on board too.
"If you are a big retailer and a customer says you shouldn't be stocking something, they have the opportunity to say 'Seafish, the industry authority, has said X, Y and Z, and you can look at the website'. It is something that can be referred back to.
"We are really pleased to have Cefas on board, they are the premier Government organisation dealing with stocks, stock assessment for the UK, and they have the people who are recognised internationally as being the authority on this. What they say, and their assessment, is hard to question."
Asked about North Sea cod, the subject of national headlines that were laughed out of the summit back in 2012, on the back of claims about only 100 mature cod being left presented as fact, he said: "Stock status is still low, but management is very good, and future prospects are recovering. There is the question that if you don't source some of that, are you actually discouraging the recovery process?"
Of the summit as a whole, he said: "The event itself gets bigger every year and I think it will be a really good one-day conference in the way it always has been.
"The evening before, the reception, I feel is going to be better than ever before. We have some really nice local businesses, with Tom Wood Beer, cheeses as well as seafood, then Paramount 21 (Devon-based frozen seafood food service supply specialist) coming up, to give it a bit more of a national feel. It is still a Grimsby event, based here and part of the local business community so it will be nice to see what it on offer.
Of the other subjects to be covered, Dr Williams said: "The World Seafood Congress will be a big element, and we will be getting on with the launch of this. It is a big event for us in 2015. The call for papers is out now and we are starting to get applications from people to be speakers, and we will be pushing that to everyone at the summit.
"We have a major sponsor signed up and we will be announcing that too, and outlining the other packages that are available to people to support the congress. The big thing for me is getting that local involvement. It is important, there will be huge numbers of people coming from all over the world and we want local businesses not to just come, but to be part of the event. Some could open their doors, show the new product development they are involved in, and I am sure some of the local businesses will. I find that is the great thing about local businesses, as Seafish here in Grimsby we are constantly asking to show people round, and they are always really welcoming."This article first appeared in September's Business Telegraph, available today (Tuesday, September 16), free with your Grimsby Telegraph.
