FISH LANDINGS IN SCOTLAND IN JANUARY 2025

Fish landings in Scotland in January 2025.

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 2025. The Scottish ones are set out below. The landings are by all UK and foreign vessels.

2. Overall, there was a huge +34% increase in the value of fish landings in Scotland to £110.6 million, compared with January 2024, although the tonnage only rose by +2% to 58,314. That was similar with the UK totals, which were +30% increases in value and +3% in tonnage.

3. Scotland accounted for a massive 85% of the UK value and 86% of the tonnage of fish landed. That was much higher than the usual average shares of about 65%. England ports accounted for 11% of the UK value total, Northern Ireland 4% and Wales less than 1%.

4. The huge increase in value was obviously attributable to a rise in fish prices. The Scottish average of £1,897 was +31% higher than in January 2024. The price average for 2024 as a whole was £1,500. I do not know why there such a big rise in January this year.

5. Five of the nine Scottish ports/districts recorded increases in value and four decreases. The biggest value increases were in Cullivoe in Shetland (+109%), Ullapool (+51%) and Peterhead (+48%). Seven ports/districts recorded increases in tonnage and only two declines.

6. Peterhead is by far the busiest fishing port in the UK, accounting for a massive 67% of the total Scottish value and 56% of the total UK value in January. The tonnage shares were 67% of the Scottish total and 57% of the UK. The port had a very big +48% increase in value but only +3% in tonnage.

7. Lerwick was the second highest value port in January and also recorded a big +29% increase, although only +3% in tonnage.

8. Peterhead and Lerwick together accounted for 89% of the total value of landings. The other ports only contributed 11%.

9. There was another huge -56% fall in the value of landings in Scrabster. The harbour’s importance for the fishing industry has declined substantially recently.

10. So has Ullapool but it had a surprisingly good January, with a +51% rise in value.

11. 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.

12. 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%).

13. 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.

14. Peterhead continues to dominate both the value and tonnage, accounting for 47% and 59% respectively of the Scottish totals.

15. Lerwick ranks 2nd. Some of its growth in 2024 is obviously attributable to falls in the other Shetland ports of Cullivoe and Scalloway.

16. 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.