UK pavilion aims to reel in global seafood buyers at SEG25

For the fourth consecutive year, the U.K. will host a pavilion at Seafood Expo Global (SEG), the world’s largest seafood trade event, taking place in Barcelona, Spain, from 6 to 8 May, 2025.

"SEG25 is a great opportunity to showcase the quality and selection of seafood from the U.K. and the varied businesses that bring it to market,” Seafish Chief Executive Marcus Coleman said. “We are proud to be working alongside our partners in the U.K. government to support U.K. seafood businesses and their growth in overseas markets."

The U.K. seafood industry has a long and fruitful history of international trade, with the latest figures from 2023 showing an export value of EUR 173 million (USD 181 million) and a volume of 442,436 metric tons in live weight.

“The U.K. has a global reputation for high-quality seafood and is home to some of the freshest fish and shellfish in the world,” Coleman said. “As a nation, we have a history of trading seafood that dates back many hundreds of years – with U.K. fish and shellfish being exported on a daily basis to all parts of the globe.”

So far, the pavilion includes over a dozen exhibiting companies from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. The exhibiting companies will be showcasing a variety of U.K. fish and shellfish, including blue lobster, brown cab, Atlantic salmon, sardines, langoustine, mackerel, and whelks.

“The U.K. pavilion provides a focal point for U.K. businesses to demonstrate the many different seafood products we have to offer to the international market,” Coleman said.

The pavilion will feature a dedicated exhibition area, a communal lounge, and a private meeting room. The lounge is open to all U.K. seafood businesses for meetings with existing clients or networking with new partners. For a more private setting, companies can reserve the meeting room in advance.

A highlight of the pavilion will be its live demonstration kitchen, where a team of professional chefs will prepare, cook, and serve a variety of dishes made with U.K. fish and shellfish. The kitchen will be led by CJ Jackson, a renowned food writer, broadcaster, and former Chief Executive of The Billingsgate Seafood Training School in London.

“This interactive space will allow visitors to sample the high quality and diverse flavors of U.K. seafood while experiencing expert culinary techniques firsthand,” Coleman said.

A common goal among all the partnering organizations and exhibiting companies is to uphold the principles of responsible sourcing in the U.K. seafood industry.

“We are a world leader in responsible practice,” Coleman said. “The wider U.K. seafood supply chain has been working with a range of conservation organizations and statutory agencies for many years to ensure a sustainable future for our seas.”

Sustainable fish stocks and fisheries are a priority for the U.K., which uses Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) to maintain or restore fish stocks to sustainable levels.

“We take immense pride in the high standards of U.K. seafood, not just in taste and freshness, but in how it’s caught and farmed,” Coleman said. “Responsible practices are not an option, they are a commitment that support our coastal communities, safeguard marine ecosystems, and secure the future of our industry.”

Visit the U.K. pavilion at Seafood Expo Global from 6 to 8 May 2025 in Hall 2, at Stand #2I601, in the Fira Barcelona Gran Via Venue. To learn more about the U.K. presence at SEG25, contact Seafish Project Coordinator and Administrator Phillip Quirie at [email protected].