About Us
Who We Are
The Eastern England Fish Producers Organisation is an officially recognised representative body for fishermen. Formed in 1981 originally as the Grimsby FPO, but now based in East Yorkshire, we proudly represent our members of predominantly east coast fishing businesses operating in the North Sea and West of Scotland.
Our members vessels range in size from under 10 metre coastal vessels to over 35 metres operating in offshore waters and catch a variety of species including cod, haddock, whiting, saithe, monk, hake, megrim, ling, nephrops, crab and lobster.
EEFPO is one of 9 officially recognised Fish Producer Organisations in England and is a trusted and respected partner and conduit between industry and government, scientific and regulatory authorities at a national and international level.
What We Do
We represent the interests of our members in all aspects of fisheries policy, management, and relationships with other marine sectors that use our shared seas.
Underpinning this is a commitment to see that fisheries and other marine resources are utilised sustainably for the good of all to provide sustenance and breathe vitality into our fishing communities. We strive to reduce the environmental footprint of our activities to manage our impacts responsibly and seek to strike the right balance between meeting environmental objectives and ensuring economic viability.
We manage fishing opportunities for over 30 separate quota stocks caught by members vessels.
Decision Making
We are a Cooperative Society registered with the FCA operated by and on behalf of our members. Members are elected each year to sit on our board of directors supported by additional non-member appointees.
The board meets up to 6 times per year to address issues and concerns affecting members in order to best represent members interests and ensure democratic and efficient running of the organisation.
Catch and Vessels
Our larger vessels fish mainly in the northern North Sea and West of Scotland, operating out of Peterhead and other Scottish ports including Fraserburgh, Scrabster and Ullapool targeting a range of whitefish stocks including cod, haddock, whiting saithe, hake and ling as well as monk and nephrops.
Our inshore members operate out of several eastern England fishing ports including Whitby, Scarborough, Bridlington and Kings Lynn targeting mainly crab and lobster but also brown shrimp.
Our top 5 catches in terms of tonnage in 2023 were:
Saithe – 2468 tonnes
Haddock – 1779 tonnes
Cod – 1738 tonnes
Whiting – 792 tonnes
Monk – 412 tonnes
