Forty-four UK parliamentarians have called on ministers to urgently strengthen controls on seafood imports, warning that weak enforcement is allowing illegal and exploitative fish products into the country, according to the NGO Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF).
In a letter to environment secretary Emma Reynolds and fisheries minister Dame Angela Eagle, members of parliament (MPs) highlighted findings from a new report by the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency (CFT), which shows seafood linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and serious human rights abuses continues to enter the UK.
They argue that, since Brexit, safeguards have declined sharply and monitoring of imports has largely ceased, leaving the UK blind to the true origins of its seafood.
More than a quarter of UK seafood imports come from high-risk countries, including China and Russia, yet scrutiny has been minimal. Only four consignments from China have been refused since 2012, and none from Russia since 2021, according to the report.
With the government planning to update catch certificate requirements next year, MPs say there is a key opportunity for reform. They urged ministers to adopt CFT recommendations, including stronger traceability, increased checks and measures to protect consumers, UK fishers and businesses from illegal and unethical competition.
“For years, the UK’s import control system has been absent without leave. This inaction prioritises cheap, tainted seafood over the interests of UK consumers and fishing communities,” said EJF CEO and founder Steve Trent.
“It enables the ongoing degradation of marine habitats and abuses of the crew. However, it does not need to stay this way, and these 44 cross-party parliamentarians have made a clear demand for change.”
