Record landings

A RECORD 10,665 boxes of whitefish with a value of almost £1 million were landed in Shetland this week.

The previous record achieved by electronic auction was 9,435 boxes, set in the final week of trading in 2013.

Auction manager Martin Leyland said most commentators on the local industry agreed that Shetland had not seen landings on this scale for at least a quarter of a century.

He said: “Although 2013 was already a record year for whitefish landings in the electronic auction period, the cumulative total for this year is now ahead of where it was at the same time in 2013, at close to 250,000 boxes.”

Shetland Fish Producers Organisation chief executive Brian Isbister added that a lot of planning went into how best to utilise local fishermen’s quotas.

“It is heartening for this organisation to see its members’ year-long efforts to manage their quota opportunities being rewarded at a time of strong market demand and plenty of fish to catch,” he said.