Lisa Penny
Food Policy and Strategy Unit
Welsh Assembly Government
Aberystwyth
foodpolicy@wales.gsi.gov.uk
28th September 2010
CONSULTATION ON FOOD FOR WALES, FOOD FROM WALES 2010 – 2020
Dear Ms Penny
I am writing on behalf of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB). We are the
UK industry trade association representing both wild-caught and cultivated shellfish.
We were surprised to see so few references made to the importance of shellfish (and
finfish) in the report. For example in the box “Welsh Food Supply and the UK” on page
14, which details self-sufficiency in foodstuff, seafood is not even mentioned.
This is also repeated on page 16 in the box “Welsh Primary Output by Product
Category” and paragraph 13 appears to dismiss shellfish and finfish. Are you aware that
as well as producing approximately 16,000 tonnes of mussels, 500 tonnes of rainbow
trout was produced in 2006. Furthermore, fishing is not just limited to the “tourism
sector”; over 9000 tonnes of wild-caught seafood was landed at the 3 major fishing ports
in Wales. The Wales Fisheries Strategy 2008 (also published by the Assembly
Government) is worth actually reading.
In the Employment and added economic value in agriculture and the food sector section
the seafood sector is again overlooked and appears to contribute nothing in the eyes of
the author(s).
It is particularly surprising that seafood is not mentioned in the Healthy Eating’ section
(para 55-58). The Food Standard Agency notes:
“We should be eating at least two portions of fish a week including one of oily fish. Fish
and shellfish are good sources of a variety of vitamins and minerals, and oily fish is
particularly rich in omega 3 fatty acids.”
WAG’s own Fisheries Strategy notes:
“In future years, the growth in sales of fish and shellfish products in Wales will be
partially driven by public health issues as the potential benefits of increased seafood
consumption become clearer. For example, there is good evidence that eating oily fish
and shellfish reduces the risk of death from heart disease [and a host of other physical
and mental illnesses], which killed 117,500 people in the UK during 2002 alone. On
average, people in the UK eat a third of a portion of oily fish a week; seven out of ten
don't eat any fish at all……One of the central components of this strategy is to
encourage children to eat more fish and shellfish as part of their weekly diet, especially
those containing omega-3 fatty acids. Fish [and shellfish] shall be available at least once
a week in primary schools and at least twice per week in secondary schools…”
We support your helpful summary; direction of the Food Strategy, on page 57 but remain
concerned that the seafood sector will be overlooked and not benefit from any
downstream work. The SAGB is available to assist you on ensuring inclusion of shellfish
and shellfisheries and I am sure Seafish can offer the same help on both shellfish &
finfish.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance.
Kind regards
Dr Tom Pickerell
Director
Mob:
:
07507 339156
tom@shellfish.org.uk