News / Fish landings up
THE VALUE of fish landed at Shetland ports hit a record high in 2011, according to new report from the islands’ fisheries college.
Scientists at the NAFC Marine Centre in Scalloway say the figure of £90 million is more than four times the value of fish landed in 2000.
Indications are that last year’s figures are not as healthy due to a drop in the value of whitefish and mackerel.
Shetland’s ports are the UK’s second busiest after Peterhead, and receive more catches than England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined.
Mackerel is the most valuable stock, which combined with herring accounts for 78 per cent of fish in weight landed in 2011, and 68 per cent in value.
Whitefish, notably haddock, cod and monkfish, accounts for 19 per cent in weight and 27 per cent in value.
Shellfish only accounts for two per cent in weight, but their cash value increases their share to three per cent.
These figures indicate Shetland handles a quarter of all Scotland’s wild caught fish, and 15 per cent of the UK catch.
Shetland fishing vessels land one fifth of Scotland’s and more than a tenth of UK’s fish.
The report’s author Dr Ian Napier said the figures once again demonstrated the industry’s substantial contribution to the Shetland economy.
“Behind these figures are many local jobs – more than 400 people are directly employed in fish catching in Shetland and hundreds more in related sectors such as processing, transport and engineering,” he said.
“They also show the important role that Shetland’s fishing industry, and the waters around Shetland, play in both a Scottish and UK context.”
Officials figures for 2012 will not be available for several months, however early indications from Shetland Seafood Auction suggest whitefish volumes are up by six per cent, but down by about 16 per cent in value.
More seriously, Shetland Catch has said that mackerel landings were down by a third last year due to a lack of demand due to extra supplies coming onto the market from Iceland and Faroe.
This has been partially offset by herring landings going up by 60 per cent and blue whiting also on the increase.
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