Fishing vessel from Shetland. (Photo: Shetland Fishermen)

Shetland seafood landings reach GBP 365 million

Fish and shellfish for GBP 1 million were captured in the waters around Shetland every day in 2016 on average, but only a small proportion of it was landed by Shetland fishing boats.

The information was revealed by an analysis of official fisheries statistics by Dr Ian R. Napier of the North Atlantic Fisheries College Marine Centre (NAFC) Marine Centre UHI.

According to the study, an estimated 420,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish caught in the Shetland part of the UK's Exclusive Economic Zone, worth some GBP 365 million, were landed by British and EU fishing boats in the analysed year. 

Dr Napier's analysis also indicates that Shetland fishing boats caught less than one-sixth (15 per cent) of the fish and shellfish landed from the Shetland part of the UK EEZ in 2016, while almost one quarter of all landings from the same zone were caught within 50 miles of Shetland.

In total, Shetland fishing boats landed a record GBP 118 million worth of fish and shellfish in 2016, reflecting a small increase in the weight but a large increase in the value of landings compared to 2015.

There was also a large increase in the value of fish and shellfish landed in Shetland, to some GBP 79 million, with more than half landed by local fishing boats.

More fish and shellfish were landed in Shetland in 2016 than in any other UK port, except Peterhead, and more finfish were landed in Shetland than in all of England, Wales and Northern Ireland put together.

The landings in Shetland included almost 19,000 tonnes of whitefish (such as haddock, cod, monks, and plaice) worth about GBP 33 million, more than three-quarters of it landed by local boats, and substantially more than in 2015.

Lerwick ranked 4th in in the UK for whitefish landings, Scalloway 8th and Cullivoe (Yell) 13th.

Shetland fishing boats landed almost 16,000 tonnes of whitefish in 2016, worth a record GBP 29 million, most of it in Shetland.

The landings in Shetland in 2016 also included 50,000 tonnes of pelagic fish (such as mackerel and herring), worth about GBP 41 million, and 3,000 tonnes of shellfish (such as crabs, lobsters and scallops), worth almost GBP 5 million.

The results of the analysis are published in Shetland Fisheries Statistics 2016.
 
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Address:	Port Arthur
City:	Scalloway
State/ZIP:	Shetland (ZE1 0UN)
Country:	United Kingdom
Phone:	+44 01595 772 000
Fax:	+44 01595 772 001
E-Mail:	[email protected]
More about:

Print