Humber ports first for fish imports
August 22, 2024
Statistics released recently have reconfirmed the Humber’s position as the UK’s leading centre for seafood and one that’s showing real growth. ABP’s Humber ports of Immingham, Grimsby and Hull handled 41.6% of the fish imported into the UK, showing a 10.5% growth year on year, demonstrating the strong proposition of the Humber ports as a leading gateway for UK trade.
The colocation of ABP’s ports with centres of seafood creation – from fish fingers to gourmet ready meals – creates a highly efficient sector-leading hub providing 5,500 jobs. For example, around 70% of the UK’s seafood is processed in the Port of Grimsby, including every other fish finger eaten in the UK, which along with the town has a buoyant processing sector retaining its links to the fish and food industries.
Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber ports said: “This is good news for the Humber ports handling the largest volume of seafood imports in the country. Their strategic locations significantly show the demand for short sea European routes.
“Fish, though not landed over the quayside by a trawler, still plays an important part in the supply chain in the region. The UK is a big importer of seafood, and our ports ensure that high-quality seafood from around the world reaches British consumers efficiently and sustainably, reinforcing our position as a global leader in the seafood trade.”
Simon Dwyer, representing Seafood Grimsby & Humber Alliance and Grimsby Fish Merchants Association and for many years an advocate of using ports close to the UK’s leading seafood processing cluster, said: “There’s been a step change in the routing of seafood into the UK especially salmon from Norway that now arrives in trucks from Scandinavia into Immingham port rather than being transported by road via southern ports of for example, Dover.
“Grimsby is a major UK processor of salmon so it’s logical to ship the product on ferries that use the port of Immingham rather than southern UK ports. In value terms, approximately £1.5bn of seafood arrives at the Humber ports.”
Species brought in include cod, haddock, Alaskan pollock, hake, and shellfish with salmon from Norway and the Faroe Islands being the biggest volume contributing circa 63,000 tonnes. In the 12 months to December 2023, 609,567 tonnes of seafood were imported into the UK, including 27,736 tonnes through our Port of Southampton.
– News release supplied by ABP –
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For more information please contact:
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Emma Lingard Corporate Communications Manager |
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Mob: 07759 524545 |
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About ABP Humber
ABP Humber Ports complex form the UK’s busiest trading gateway. The four ports of Immingham, Grimsby, Goole, and Hull handle more than 58 million tonnes of cargo between them each year worth approximately £75 billion. Across the Humber, the ports support 34,900 jobs and contribute £2.5 billion to the UK economy.
ABP Humber’s major investment programme ensures the ports offer state-of the-art cargo handling infrastructure and equipment, alongside a highly skilled team who can handle a vast array of cargo safely, efficiently, and sustainably.
We work collaboratively to build long-term partnerships and deliver the right supply chain solutions for customers, including value-added services and new facilities tailored to suit their business needs.
Our Port Operations are complimented by their Pilotage Service and Vessel Traffic Service which ensure vessels are safely navigated through the Humber Estuary.
ABP Humber offers 364 hectares of development land across its port locations capable of attracting investment and delivering transformational benefits for the economy both locally and nationally. View the dedicated property website - https://property.abports.co.uk/.
The ports are all part of the new Humber Freeport, which offers three tax sites with an exceptionally business-friendly tax and regulatory environment for potential manufacturing investors.
ABP Humber supports its local communities. The ABP Humber Coastal Half Marathon and 10k is now in its 7th year and complements ABP’s race sponsorship across the country.
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About ABP (www.abports.co.uk)
Associated British Ports (ABP) is the UK’s leading ports group, with 21 ports and other transport-related businesses, creating a unique national network capable of handling a vast array of cargo. We are driving growth, contributing £15 billion to the UK economy every year and supporting over 200,000 jobs.
We are redefining what Keeping Britain Trading means in the greener, cleaner economy. Find out more by downloading our sustainability strategy, ABP Ready for Tomorrow, which sets out our plan to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions from our own operations by 2040. For more details around our decarbonisation journey, please visit our website.
ABP in numbers:
- ~ 90 million tonnes of cargo handled each year
- 4,000 hectares of port estate owned
- 38% reduction in GHG emissions from 2014 – 2021
- 18 out of 21 ports have renewable energy generation projects
- > £55 million investment made in low emission and renewable energy generation technologies