FISH LANDINGS IN SCOTLAND IN DECEMBER 2024

Fish landings in Scotland in December 2024.
A note by Tony Mackay, Economist. tony@tonymackay.co.uk
1. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) have just published their monthly fish landings statistics for the UK for December 2024. The Scottish ones are set out below. The landings are by
all UK and foreign vessels.
2. Overall, there was a -9% fall in the value of fish landings in Scotland to just over £23 million, compared with December 2023, but a slight increase in tonnage to 9,694. That was better than the UK totals, which were -14% declines in value and -11% in tonnage.
3. Scotland accounted for 62% of the UK value and 65% of the tonnage of fish landed. England ports accounted for 35% of the UK value total, Northern Ireland 2% and Wales 1%.
4. Four of the nine Scottish ports/districts recorded increases in value and 5 decreases. The biggest value increases were in Peterhead (+39%), Ullapool (+33%) and Lerwick (+32%). Three ports/districts recorded increases in tonnage but six declines.
5. The average value per tonne of fish landed was down by -9% to £2,381.
6. Peterhead is by far the busiest fishing port in the UK, accounting for 30% of the total Scottish value and 19% of the total UK value in December. The tonnage shares were 39% of the Scottish total and 26% of the UK. The port had very big increases in value but and tonnage.
7. Lerwick was the second highest value port in December and also recorded big increases.
8. The table below gives the 12 months’ totals from January to December 2024. The Scottish total value of £510.2 million was -1% lower than 2023. The tonnage total of 340,049 was +6% higher.
9. Only three ports had increases in the value of landings in 2024: Kinlochbervie (+21%), Lerwick (+20%) and Peterhead (+16%) The others had declines, the worst being Cullivoe (-40%) and
Ullapool (-30%).
10. Four ports recorded increases in tonnage and five declines. Some of the tonnage changes have been surprising, notably the +4% rise in Fraserburgh, where the value is -5% lower.
11. Peterhead continues to dominate both the value and tonnage, accounting for 47% and 59% respectively of the Scottish totals.
12. Lerwick ranks 2nd. Some of its growth in 2024 is obviously attributable to falls in the other Shetland ports of Cullivoe and Scalloway.
13. I shall write a more detailed report on the 2023 and 2024 annual totals when MMO publish the annual statistics. That will include the statistics for each of the various ports/districts which make up the “Other Scotland” category.
Photo credit Keith Broomfield