FISH LANDINGS IN SCOTLAND IN JANUARY 2024

Fish landings in Scotland in January 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 January 2024. The Scottish ones are set out below. The landings are by all
UK and foreign vessels.
2. Overall, there was a big +19% increase in the value of fish landings in Scotland to just over £93 million, compared with January 2023, and a +1% increase in tonnage to 55,398.
3. That is much better than the UK totals, which were a +13% increase in value and a -2% fall in tonnage. Scotland accounted for 84.6% of the UK value and 86.8% of the tonnage of fish landed.
4. Three of the nine Scottish ports/districts recorded increases in value but 6 declines. Three also recorded increases in tonnage and 6 declines. The value increases were in Kinlochbervie (+46%), Peterhead (+43%) and Lerwick (+12%). The biggest declines were in Cullivoe (-80%) and Ullapool (-58%). The tonnage changes were geographically similar.
5. Peterhead is by far the busiest fishing port in the UK, accounting for a massive 67% of the total Scottish value and 57% of the total UK value in January. The tonnage shares were 66% of the Scottish total and 57% of the UK. The value increase was much greater than the tonnage.
6. Lerwick is the second busiest port. It accounted for 20% of the Scottish value and 17% of the UK value last month.
7. Scrabster ranks third but recorded falls in both the value of fish landings and tonnage last month.
8. Kinlochbervie overtook Fraserburgh as the fourth most important fishing port in Scotland.
9. I shall write a more detailed report on the 2023 annual totals when MMO publish the annual statistics. That will include the statistics for the ports/districts which make up the “Other Scotland
“category”.