Background:

Historically, the UK has been, and still is, a fishing nation, with London playing an integral role in the seafood industry. The Thames Estuary cockle fishery, for example, has supported the local community’s livelihoods for hundreds of years. Billingsgate Market in Poplar is one of the biggest fish markets in the country where an average of 25,000 tonnes of fish and fish products are sold through its merchants each year. And the Fishmongers’ company has stood for over 700 years in London Bridge, helping to uphold the standards in fish and shellfish trade. Venturing into the City of London, blue bonds, which provide financing for a sustainable blue economy, are of increasing interest.

As we look towards the future, the seafood industry is poised to make a significant contribution to the capital's prosperity and health outcomes.  Given that the UK’s population is set to rise to over 70 million people by 2035, scaling up the production of sustainable food from oceans, rivers and lakes can meet the needs of the growing global population in a sustainable, climate-friendly way.

In this online lecture, Marine Stewardship Council CEO, Rupert Howes, will explore the role of sustainable seafood in the capital’s past, present and future.

Speaker:

Rupert joined the MSC in October 2004. Prior to this, he was Director of the Sustainable Economy Programme at the Forum for the Future, an influential UK-based sustainable development organisation that partners with business, capital markets, governments, and others to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable way of life. Rupert previously worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit at Sussex University, and a Research Officer at the International Institute for Environment and Development.  

Rupert has been internationally recognised for his work to promote sustainable fishing practices. In 2014, Rupert was awarded a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Award; in 2009 he received the WWF Leaders for a Living Planet Award, and in 2007 he received a Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship for his contributions in establishing the MSC as the world's leading fishery certification and ecolabelling program.