Committee publication · Correspondence · 28 January 2026
Correspondence from South Western Fish Producer organisation regarding the request for EFRA Committee Scrutiny of Defra’s Oversight of Seafish and Recent Unconsulted Changes to Industry- Critical Functions, dated 21 January 2026
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Fisheries and the marine environment
Summary
The South Western Fish Producer Organisation requests EFRA Committee scrutiny of Defra's oversight of Seafish following the statutory body's decision to dismantle its Fisheries Management Team without industry consultation. The £7.4 million annual levy-funded organisation's removal of core functions contradicts its 2023–2028 Corporate Plan and jeopardises delivery of the UK Fisheries Management Plan and food security objectives.
Key findings
- Seafish Board dismantled the Fisheries Management Team mid-way through its corporate plan without consulting levy payers, despite the team being the primary engagement point for industry stakeholders.
- The decision undermines Seafish's core commitment to supporting the UK Fisheries Management Plan programme and industry compliance with the Fisheries Act, with no assurance from Defra that policy delivery will proceed.
- Seafish accounts show no immediate financial need for reductions of this scale; alternative efficiencies in HR or finance services were not explored.
- The decision was taken weeks before a CEO change without clear strategic rationale, eroding industry confidence in Board governance and Defra's sponsoring oversight.
- The removal threatens MSC accreditation pathways, market access, and the reputation of UK seafood, undermining government food security and sustainability ambitions.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
South Western Fish Producer Organisation (SWFPO), Seafish, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), EFRA Select Committee, Juliette Hatchman, Seafish Board
Notable line
“… levy - amounting to over £7.4 million annually - is a mandatory cost on the industry, placing a clear responsibility on Seafish and on Defra, as sponsor, to ensure transparent governance, meaningful engagement with levy payers, and demonstrable value for money.”
Key Quotes
“This change represents a significant and unconsulted shift in organisational priorities for a statutory-levy funded body whose sole purpose, under the 1981 Act, is to support the UK seafood industry.”
“The removal of the Fisheries Management Team - midway through Seafish's 2023– 2028 Corporate Plan and in contradiction to the priorities identified in the 2021 Strategic Review - occurred without any industry or levy payer consultation.”
“This decision effectively abandons one of Seafish's core commitments: supporting delivery of the UK Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) programme.”
“The decision was taken just weeks before a change in CEO and without providing any clear strategic rationale. This has significantly eroded industry confidence in both the Board and the governance mechanisms that should prevent unconsulted shifts in a statutory- levy body's priorities.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗