Provisional Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2015

An overview of the Scottish fishing fleet, fishermen employed and landings data.


Landings by Scottish registered vessels

The decrease in value of fish landings in 2015 was driven by a 12 per cent decrease in the quantity of pelagic landings. The value of pelagic landings decreased by 27 per cent. Shellfish landings decreased in value and volume and the demersal landings increased in volume, while the value remained stable:

  • Pelagic - 27 per cent decrease in value, 12 per cent decrease in volume
  • Demersal - value remained stable, two per cent increase in volume
  • Shellfish - 11 per cent decrease in value, six per cent decrease in volume

Pelagic

The total value of pelagic landings in 2015 decreased by 27 per cent to £160 million. The volume of pelagic landings decreased by 12 per cent to 291,500 tonnes. Mackerel is the most valuable stock to the Scottish fleet worth £131 million and it accounted for 30 per cent of the total value of Scottish landings. The volume of mackerel landed by Scottish registered vessels in 2015 was 200,000 tonnes, 17 per cent lower than in 2014. Fifty six per cent of the mackerel landings by Scottish registered vessels was landed abroad. This is higher than the previous year's figures which saw 50 per cent of the volume of mackerel landed abroad. The average price of mackerel landed abroad decreased 17 per cent to £667 per tonne in 2015, whereas the average price of mackerel landed in to Scotland decreased 23 per cent to £635 per tonne.

In 2015, the volume of herring landed by Scottish vessels decreased by four per cent to 59,000 tonnes, although the value of herring increased by 15 per cent to £21 million, due to a 21 per cent rise in the average price to £363 per tonne.

Demersal

The total value of demersal landings in 2015 was £143 million, the same level as in 2014. The volume of landings increased two per cent to 90,700 tonnes. Haddock, monkfish and cod are the most valuable demersal stocks to the Scottish fleet. The value of haddock decreased 11 per cent in 2015 to £37 million, and the volume landed decreased ten per cent to 27,000 tonnes.

The value of monkfish landings increased six per cent to £26 million due to a 27 per cent increase in the volume landed, to 11,000 tonnes. The volume of cod landed in 2015 was five per cent higher than 2014, contributing to a two per cent increase in the value to £23 million.

The volume and value of landings of megrim, saithe and whiting in 2015 all fell compared to 2014, whereas the volume and value of hake, ling and plaice all increased. The value of hake landings was £16 million, a 15 per cent increase from 2014. This was due to an eight per cent increase in the volume landed and a seven per cent increase in the price per tonne. Both ling and plaice landings were valued at £5 million, a seven per cent and nine per cent increase from 2014 respectively. There was a 44 per cent increase in the volume of 'other demersal' species landed in 2015 and a 22 per cent increase in the value. This was mainly due to the increase in the volume of sand eels landed and an increase in the value of wrasse landed by Scottish vessels.

Shellfish

The total value of shellfish decreased by 11 per cent to £134 million, while volume of shellfish landed decreased six per cent to 57,600 tonnes. Nephrops (Norway Lobster/Langoustine) are the most valuable shellfish stock, accounting for 45 per cent of the value of shellfish landings, and they are the second most valuable stock overall to the Scottish fleet. In 2015, the total value of Nephrops decreased by 19 per cent to £61 million. This is due to a 20 per cent decrease in volume landed to 16,000 tonnes and a one per cent increase in average price to £3,688 per tonne.

Scallops are the second most valuable shellfish stock to the Scottish fleet, making up 25 per cent of the value of shellfish landings. The volume of scallops landed in 2015 decreased three per cent to 16,000 tonnes. However, the value of scallops increased one per cent to £33 million, due to a four per cent increase in the average price to £2,082 per tonne.

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