With over 15 years in fisheries science, Heidi is now the policy lead for eel in the Environment Agency and is responsible for ensuring that England and Wales make progress towards the goals set out in the 11 eel management plans. The main areas being habitat improvement, free passage, regulation of the commercial eel fisheries and adequate monitoring of eel so that we know how well they are doing. Her love of eels comes from working with Thames eels and the fact that we still know very little about much of an eel's life history. "if you asked a child what a roach or even a salmon looked liked, they may struggle but ask the same of an eel and they could all draw you one. It is truly an iconic fish that everyone has an opinion on, whether it is interesting,delicious or slimy!"
Chris has for the past 25 years been employed as the Chief Inspector to the Fishmongers’ Company which is an ancient City Livery Company that has an unbroken association with the fish industry for around 1000 years. In his capacity as chief inspector he is primarily responsible for the quality control of all the seafood sold at London’s Billingsgate Fish Market, the premiere inland wholesale fish market in the UK, but he also serves on several advisory panels for the industry.
In 1998 he established the Billingsgate Seafood Training School at the market. The School was set up as a charitable enterprise providing courses for the industry, the public and school children. All the courses for the children are funded out of the other commercial activities and charitable donations. The school has an outreach programme going into various schools in the greater London area teaching the children about the benefits of seafood consumption.
Chris has helped to set up quality control systems for companies both home and abroad. He has also been involved in several EU funded projects in developing countries running several training courses for the industry and Government personnel.
In 2004 Chris was the main author for a book entitled Fish and Shellfish: A comprehensive guide to seafood and the industry. The book was aimed as a training tool for the industry and enforcement officials wishing to gain a greater understanding of the industry.
For several years he has been an executive board member of IAFI, the International Association of Seafood Professionals, and at the recent World Seafood Congress in Morocco he was nominated as the President elect of IAFI and will assume the presidents role at the next world seafood congress due to take place in Washington in October 2011.
In 1998 he established the Billingsgate Seafood Training School at the market. The School was set up as a charitable enterprise providing courses for the industry, the public and school children. All the courses for the children are funded out of the other commercial activities and charitable donations. The school has an outreach programme going into various schools in the greater London area teaching the children about the benefits of seafood consumption.
Chris has helped to set up quality control systems for companies both home and abroad. He has also been involved in several EU funded projects in developing countries running several training courses for the industry and Government personnel.
In 2004 Chris was the main author for a book entitled Fish and Shellfish: A comprehensive guide to seafood and the industry. The book was aimed as a training tool for the industry and enforcement officials wishing to gain a greater understanding of the industry.
For several years he has been an executive board member of IAFI, the International Association of Seafood Professionals, and at the recent World Seafood Congress in Morocco he was nominated as the President elect of IAFI and will assume the presidents role at the next world seafood congress due to take place in Washington in October 2011.