A tough year for UK fishermen

The U.K. fishing fleet landed 677,000 metric tons (MT) of seafood in the first 11 months of last year, 7 percent less than in the corresponding period of 2014, and achieved a total value of GBP 688 million (EUR 905.5 million; USD 981.7 million), down 15 percent year-on-year, according to the latest provisional results published by the country’s Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

Last year’s catch was dominated by the winter mackerel fishery, which accounted for 36 percent of all the fish landed by U.K. fishermen in the January through November period. However, the mackerel catch fell by 14 percent in volume to 244,818 MT and by 37 percent in value to GBP 141 million (EUR 185.6 million; USD 201.2 million).

With regards to the landings of key demersal species, the cod catch declined by 9 percent in volume to 24,440 MT and 23 percent in value to GBP 33.8 million (EUR 44.5 million; USD 48.2 million), and the haddock catch decreased by 7 percent in volume to 31,227 MT and 11 percent in value to GBP 41.7 million (EUR 54.9 million; USD 59.5 million).

In the shellfish sector, crab landings were down 14 percent to 28,954 MT with a value of GBP 37.9 million (EUR 49.9 million; USD 54.1 million), which was 15 percent less year-on-year. Similarly, the nephrops catch fell 15 percent in volume and 17 percent in value to 24,535 MT and GBP 77.2 million (EUR 101.6 million; USD 110.2 million) respectively.

The only species to register both volume and value increases during the 11-month period were hake and scallops. The hake catch grew by 12 percent in volume to 11,391 MT and 11 percent in value to GBP 24.5 million (EUR 32.2 million; USD 35 million), while landings of scallops registered a 5 percent rise in volume to 38,449 MT and a 10 percent higher value of GBP 59.7 million (EUR 78.6 million; USD 85.2 million).

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