The Expert Panel is responsible for providing expert input into the APPG’s activities, in order to ensure that the APPG remains an authoritative source of sector-relevant information and is responsive to the key issues and debates within the fisheries sector. The Expert Panel has an advisory role that sits alongside the formal governance structures of the APPG on Fisheries that operate in line with Rules on APPGs as published by UK Parliament.
Expert Panel members work collectively to support the APPG on Fisheries’ overarching goal of our founding MPs and Peers to promote and support the UK fishing industry, whilst exploring key questions for the future of fishing, processing, coastal communities, and the marine environment. Expert Panel members have no explicit decision-making capacity over the actions of the APPG or the APPG Secretariat. The role is strictly advisory and all input will be carefully considered by the Secretariat and APPG Members.
chair
Eleanor adamson
Dr Eleanor Adamson is a Fisheries Programme Manager for The Fishmongers’ Company and its Fisheries Charitable Trust, which funds the APPG Secretariat. She works to deliver programmes and grant funding across fisheries, seafood and conservation sectors. With a background in academia, she has expertise in science and research, conservation, aquaculture, and education. Eleanor chairs the Expert Panel, leading meetings and collaborating with the Secretariat on setting agendas and strategic points for discussion.
Tina Barnes
Tina Barnes is the Head of Impact at The Seafarers’ Charity, developing new grant-funded solutions to meet welfare needs for fishers. She has led two significant welfare research projects - Fishing For a Future and Fishing Without a Safety Net. The latter led to development of the Safety Net for Fishing Families. Recent work has involved coordinating a research project on crew working conditions and delivering a project aimed at improving safety management practices onboard fishing vessels.
George clark
George Clark is the Programme Director for UK and Ireland for the Marine Stewardship Council. He has over a decade of experience working in the fish and seafood sector, as well as the wider food sector and sustainability space. With experience in supply-chain sustainability, corporate social responsibility, food policy, fisheries science and environmental management, he works to support fishing communities in the UK, and around the world, helping them gain recognition for their sustainability through the MSC certification programme.
michael cohen
Michael Cohen is the Deputy Chief Executive for the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO). Michael is well known in the fishing industry as former Chief Executive of the Holderness Fishing Industry Group and as the NFFO’s chairman from 2016 to 2018. He has a background working in the legal and science industries and a wealth of practical experience in the fishing industry.
Laurence Hartwell
Laurence Hartwell started his fishing career in 1978. After 1994, he returned to education having skippered over-12m trawl and net boats which fished mainly from Newlyn. Alongside lecturing in further education he created the ‘Through the Gaps’ blog and associated Twitter account in order to chronicle and disseminate an ever-changing industry to a growing online audience. Laurence acts as a consultant on fisheries matters to the media, TV producers, scientists, writers, and NGOs, and has been a member of the Newlyn and Harbour Commissioner’s Advisory Board since 2015.
phil haslam
Phil Haslam is currently the Managing Director of the North Atlantic Holdings which owns and operates both pelagic and demersal trawlers. Previously he served in the Royal Navy, before leading the Eastern IFCA as CEO and helped to deliver EU Exit as Operations Director of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). He studied a masters degree in Maritime Operations at Kingston University.
magnus johnson
Magnus Johnson is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Marine Science and the Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes at the University of Hull. His primary interests are in the small-scale fishing sector and he is a supporter of the UK fishing industry and member of the NFFO. Magnus helped set up the Holderness Fishing Industry Group and has recently been commissioned by the NFFO, RSPB and Wildlife Trusts to investigate the potential for fishing boats to switch to electric propulsion systems.
peter jones
Peter Jones has been a committee member of Sussex IFCA since 2010 and has chaired the committee since April 2021. He works in the Department of Geography at UCL and has been engaged in research on the management of marine ecosystems for over 30 years, including the management of fisheries, particularly in relation to Marine Protected Areas and Marine Spatial Planning. Peter has provided advice to UNEP, the UN Global Environment Facility, DG Fisheries, Natural England and several selected committees, and is currently advising the MMO on fisheries co-management and Defra on the Highly Protected Marine Areas process.
Rotating seat with daniel lawson
sheila keith
Sheila Keith, Executive Officer at Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) since 2017, promoting the interest of members from all sectors in the centres of local, national, and international political power. Before joining the SFA, she worked in economic development for 15 years, specialising in fisheries, and represented Shetland on the EMFF assessment panel. Sheila is a Director/Trustee of the Shetland Fishermen’s Trust, Scottish Fishermen’s Trust, Lerwick Port Authority and Shetland Food and Drink Ltd.
rotating seat with sheila keith
daniel lawson
Daniel Lawson, Executive Officer at Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) since the start of 2022, working to represent the varied local fleet with 115 member vessels from across the shellfish, whitefish, and pelagic sectors. He has regular interaction with the wider fishing supply chain, including engineers, agents, hauliers, fish markets and buyers, as well as engaging with MPs and MSPs, civil servants, other industry bodies, and eNGO campaigners.
elspeth macdonald
Elspeth Macdonald is the CEO of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) which has wide membership across inshore and offshore fleet sectors. Through SFF’s work and engagement with Scottish and UK Parliaments, she is well-informed about wider strategic issues as well as the challenges and opportunities that different fleet sectors face. Previously, Elspeth worked for Food Standards Scotland as Deputy Chief Executive and prior to that job role, she worked for the Food Standards Agency.
simon macdonald
Simon Macdonald has over 43 years of experience in fisheries, having directly worked in both the catch and processing sectors, and has, this year, completed his three year tenure as Chair of the West Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group (WCRIFG) and Chair of the RIFG Aquaculture Work Group (RIFGAWG). Simon continues his career in the industry as a consultant in fisheries and fish processing, with projects running throughout the UK and overseas.
sam paling
Sam Paling works for the Maritime Coastguard Agency as the Fishing Safety Strategy and Behaviours Lead. He looks to integrate behavioural science into the agency approach both internally and externally. He previously worked for the government’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), the RNLI, and the Eastern IFCA. He is leading on several innovative projects to improve safety in the industry by working with a diverse range of stakeholders.
alistair bally philp
Alistair Bally Philp is the national coordinator for the Scottish Creel Fishermen's Federation (SCFF) and is an inshore fisherman with around 30 years of fishing experience in the Scottish fishing fleet. He provides a voice for smaller scale and artisanal inshore fishers, who make up the majority of the UK’s fishermen.
tom pickerell
Tom Pickerell has over 20 years experience in the fisheries and seafood sector, ranging from running pre-competive collaborations (the Global Tuna Alliance and the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group), being a civil servant in the Defra fisheries directorate, to WWF UK, to Director of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain, to head scientist at Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program in California, to Technical Director at Seafish. He is currently Director of International Fisheries at Pew Charitable Trusts.
sarah ready
Sarah Ready is experienced in a fishing regulatory role and welfare advisory role, spearheading the Law Works pro bono clinic which assists the fishing industry with free legal advice. She is a qualified fishing skipper and is an active female fisherman, recently qualified with a Nautical Institute Lead Safety Auditor Certificate. She is a Director of an SME fishing company, Two Brothers Fishing Ltd., and is innovating new ways of fishing through electric fishing boats and a zero plastic potting system.