SCOTTISH JANUARY MACKEREL FISHERY IN FULL SWING

Scottish January mackerel fishery in full swing 

The traditional start-of-the-year mackerel fishery for the Scottish fleet is progressing well, with boats reporting good marks of fish.

Fishing commenced in early January west of Shetland and boats are now in the North Rona area as they follow the south-westerly migration of the mackerel shoals. The fish caught is being landed into Lerwick and Peterhead, and processors’ report that demand from the markets is good. It is anticipated the fishery will conclude in early February.

Meanwhile, negotiations among coastal states on quota shares for Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting will get underway in the last week of January, with talks resuming on mackerel shares shortly afterwards. It is hoped that the mackerel talks will conclude by the end of March.

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SPSG

The Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group (SPSG) was established in 2006 and represents all sectors of Scotland’s pelagic industry, including catching, processing and marketing. SPSG was established to oversee the certification of its main fisheries to the Marine Stewardship Council eco-label standard and is currently driving forward a number of other sustainability initiatives. The over-riding aim of SPSG is to ensure that the Scottish pelagic industry is truly sustainable.

The North Sea herring fishery was the first fishery to be certified in 2008.

As well as the MSC programme, SPSG is involved in a range of scientific initiatives to enhance our understanding of pelagic stocks and to ensure informed decisions are made with their management. To aid this process, we have appointed a Chief Scientific Officer to co-ordinate a range marine science projects. As well as catch data, pelagic vessels are also currently being used as the platform to gather an array of information by other means, including acoustic surveys and egg surveys.

Oily fish such as mackerel and herring are an incredibly important sustainable and nutritious food resource and SPSG is keen to highlight to consumers the responsible fishing methods used in their harvesting. The pelagic sector supports many jobs and is a significant contributor to the Scottish economy.

SPSG is funded by the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association Ltd, Scottish Pelagic Fish Processors Association Ltd, Scottish Fishermen’s Organisation Ltd, Shetland Fish Producers’ Organisation Ltd, Interfish Fish Producers’ Organisation Ltd, Klondyke Fish Producers’ Organisation Ltd and Lunar Fish Producers’ Organisation Ltd.

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