Port hosts meeting on fishing law

New legislation will affect firms which import fish from outside the EU

Seafood business leaders are to meet in Grimsby later this month as the industry prepares for new laws designed to combat illegal fishing.

A seminar led by Seafish, the seafood authority, will highlight key issues which could face food processing firms.

Seafish said: "As the world's largest importer of seafood products, Europe is a major target for illegal operators.

"The European Commission has introduced regulations to prevent illegally caught fish from entering the EU market."

The new rules will be applicable from 1 January.

The town [Grimsby] is renowned as the food processing centre of England Seafish spokeswoman

"Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing remains one of the biggest global threats to the sustainable management of fish stocks," said a Seafish spokesman.

The new regulations will affect companies which import fish and fishery products from outside the EU or export it to non-EU countries.

Seafish, in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), are hosting three seminars nationwide to provide more information on the new rules and what UK businesses will need to do to comply.

One of the seminars will be held on 25 November at the Humber Seafood Institute in Grimsby.

"The town is renowned as the food processing centre of England, so we thought we needed to be there," a Seafish spokeswoman said