Type to search

Commercial Fishing

HIGH QUALITY SCOTTISH MACKEREL IN STRONG DEMAND FROM MARKETS

High quality Scottish mackerel in strong demand from markets

The January mackerel fishery is progressing well with productive marks of high-quality fish being located by the Scottish fleet.

Fishing to the west of Shetland, the fleet have been catching good-sized mackerel, which are in strong demand from the markets.

Ally West, co-skipper of the Fraserburgh-registered Resolute and vice-chairman of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association said: “There have also been plenty of small fish to the north-east of the core fishing area, but these have not been fished. It is good to see these smaller fish and it means good recruitment is coming through in the stock.

“Mackerel quality has been very good and we have encountered plenty of fish and demand from the markets is high.”

The Resolute has been landing its catches into Pelagia Shetland in Lerwick, as well as Egersund, Norway.

Robert Duthie, chairman of the Scottish Pelagic Processors Association, said demand was especially good from the Japanese and other Far Eastern markets, which were exhibiting encouraging growth.

The winter mackerel season will come to an end within the next fortnight, after which some of the Scottish fleet will work a short fishery off Norway for Atlanto-Scandian herring and for blue whiting to the west of Ireland. The next major pelagic fishery will be for MSC certified North Sea herring, which will commence in mid-summer, with the autumn mackerel fishery following thereafter.