Summary Board report 2026

The full report read out 25th February 2026 at the AGM, Park Plaza Westminster, London.

Welcome to FASFA Directors, members and Associates. It is once again a pleasure to see everyone here in London for what is always a special and important week in our calendar. We are delighted to confirm that we have retained our current membership for 2026, and I would like to sincerely thank you all for your continued collaboration and support.

Across the Arctic fisheries, reduced quotas, climate change, geopolitical pressures, and increasingly challenging fishing conditions are reshaping the landscape in which we operate. While these realities present clear challenges, the industry has shown resilience and adaptability during this period. We have seen the introduction of alternative species onto the UK fish and chip menu. Although cod remains the most popular choice, there is growing scope for other species to play a supporting role—helping to maintain customer demand, sustain footfall, and ensure businesses remain viable and thriving.

Last year we saw a decline in fish & chip shop visits by 9.8% (Foodservice as a whole saw a 4% decline) but an increase in spend grew by 4.4% in Fish & Chip shops. Fried Fish still dominates the shops, with an increase in share compared to other offerings. This is from CREST data.

And it’s not just about chasing more raw material, its about creating more value from what we already have. FASFA members are doing this, for example:

• Making significant investments onshore and offshore. We congratulate the new Leinebris this year, a vessel which is the first to combine long lining, Danish seine, and gillnetting with an onboard factory. As with all our FAS fleet it has hybrid power, zero waste, ensuring 100% of the catch is utilized. Along high crew welfare and safety features. FAS vessels lead the way with this.

• Strengthening the full value chain from fishermen to the UK market. Thank you to the vessel companies, businesses and the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFF) for their continued commitment to the valuable study tours and other initiatives. We can see the benefits of assisting this collaboration across the supply chain.

• Supporting the UK Fish & Chip businesses with key messages. Highlighting the FAS benefits and the VFM of fish and chips compared to other meals, along with the health benefits. The new marketing research campaign led by Smales is a great example, highlighting that fish and chips versus the high street burger chains shows that F&C give almost double the protein per serving, and shows not all carbs are equal – we have a natural product with a slower-release energy for the consumer. These are all positive messages that we need to shout louder about. Suffice to say resilience, efficiency and collaboration are key. The future of our sector will be defined by smart use of resources, and close partnerships across the value chain.

Update on 3 key areas from 2025 and taking them forward in 2026 and beyond at FASFA.

• We were honoured and fortunate to be invited to join the National Fish and Chip Award winners last year on a study trip to Iceland and Norway. The experience was full of memorable moments, but a standout for me was taking part in a trawler race for Fishermen’s Day on board Blaengur during our stay in Neskaupstaður. The pelagic vessels were undoubtedly faster, yet the whitefish crews delivered an equally thrilling contest. Back in the UK, we continue to organise study tours aboard the Kirkella whenever she’s moored in Hull. And we have a waiting list for this year. These study trips are invaluable to educate and connect the supply chain. Thank you to everyone who invests in these trips.

• We continue to work closely with DEFRA, with our primary focus on tariffs, trade barriers and food security. Government departments consistently seek industry input, and our collaborative approach is helping to ensure our messages are delivered clearly and with a unified voice. However, a recent consignment implication was incorrectly held at a UK Port, resulting in significant storage costs and disruption to trade. We remain committed to maintaining close engagement with all relevant government organisations to help prevent similar issues in the future.

• Reputation Management – Fish and chips continue to feature prominently in the tabloids, whether celebrating regional award winners by town or highlighting fluctuations in fish prices. The profile of our sector remains high. At the same time, social media continues to expand at an extraordinary pace, now reaching more than half of the global population. There are over 5.24 billion users worldwide, up from just 910 million in 2010, with 259 million new users joining platforms in the past year alone. Businesses across the industry are embracing these channels to communicate their messages and share their stories. FASFA members are no exception, and behind-the-scenes onboard vessel content consistently proves especially engaging and well received.

We have some new material for FASFA. And with headlines such as ‘Frozen at Sea and Fried to Perfection’ and Freeze the fresh, Fry the best’ we aim to keep the profile of our industry in everyone’s hearts and minds. We continue to represent FASFA on the Seafish advisory panel. Seafish has a new CEO – Colin Faulkner, who we will work closely with.

Our guest speaker at this year’s AGM - Colin - Daisy May, Head of UK Seafood Imports & Exports, Future Borders & Engagement, in the Marine and Fisheries Directorate at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).