Scotland’s fishing fleet landed more whitefish last year but the overall value declined as prices fell for the majority of species, according to a new government study on the industry’s performance.
The “Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2015” report finds that at 91,000 metric tons (MT), demersal species represented 21 percent of the total volume landed by the fleet. These landings achieved a combined value of GBP 143 million (USD 184 million, EUR 163.9 million) or 33 percent of the total.
Haddock, monkfish and cod are the three main demersal species landed by Scottish vessels in terms of value, accounting for 26 percent, 18 percent and 16 percent respectively of all the demersal species landed in 2015
Despite a 2 percent increase in the volume landed, the value of demersal species decreased in real terms by 1 percent or GBP 800,000 (USD 1 million, EUR 916,830) since 2014. This was driven by decreases in value of various species including megrim, whiting, haddock and saithe which fell 16 percent to GBP 4.7 million (USD 6 million, EUR 5.4 million), 12 percent to GBP 8.6 million (USD 11.1 million, EUR 9.9 million), 11 percent to GBP 37.4 million (USD 48.1 million, EUR 42.9 million) and 4 percent to £7.2 million (USD 9.3 million, EUR 8.3 million), respectively.
The report said the effect of the reductions in the value for these species on the overall demersal sector value was buffered by the increase in value of other demersal species, including hake, monkfish and cod which increased by 15 percent, 5 percent and 2 percent respectively.
The value of monkfish, which represented 6 percent of the total value of Scottish landings in 2015 and 18 percent of the value of demersal landings, increased in real terms by 5 percent, while the price per MT decreased by 17 percent, from GBP 2,840 (USD 3,656, EUR 3,254) per MT to GBP 2,360 (USD 3,038, EUR 2,704) per MT. The increase in value is due to the quantity landed increasing by 27 percent.
The increase in value in real terms for hake was due to a 7 percent increase in price per MT from GBP 2,239 (USD 2,882, EUR 2,565) per MT to GBP 2,389 (USD 3,075, EUR 2,737) per MT and an 8 percent increase in the quantity of hake landed in 2015.
Cod increased in value in real terms even though there was a 3 percent decrease in the average price from GBP 2,032 (USD 2,616, EUR 2,328) per MT to GBP 1,969 (USD 2,535, EUR 2,256) per MT. This increase in value was due to a 5 percent increase in quantity landed to 11,500 MT.
In total, Scottish-registered vessels last year landed 440,000 MT of seafood last year with a value of GBP 437 million (USD 562.6 million, EUR 500.1 million), down 8 percent and 15 percent respectively.
