Scottish sea fisheries statistics 2018

6. Scottish sea fisheries in comparison to other countries

6.1. Scottish registered vessels compared to the whole of the UK

Landings by Scottish vessels accounted for 64 per cent of the tonnage and 58 per cent of the value of all landings by UK vessels in 2018 (Table 22). Compared to 2017, this Scottish share of the total UK value has increased by one percentage point and tonnage has remained more-or-less unchanged (less than one percentage point change).

The Scottish fleet lands 61 per cent by tonnage and 57 per cent by value of the UK's demersal fish. Across the top three demersal species by value, Scottish vessels landed high proportions of UK total landings. Scottish vessels landed 54 per cent of UK landings by tonnage and 58 per cent by value of cod. For haddock, Scottish landings accounted for 81 per cent by tonnage and 82 per cent by value. For monkfish, Scottish landings were 68 per cent by tonnage and 65 per cent by value. By comparison, the rest of the UK fleet landed the majority of species such as bass, brill, sole and turbot, showing that the Scottish fleet and rest of the UK fleet mostly fish for different species

Scottish vessels' landings account for 74 per cent both by tonnage and by value of UK pelagic fish landings. This included four fifths of UK mackerel landings by tonnage and 81 per cent by value, and 63 per cent of herring landings or 54 per cent by value.

Scottish vessels landed 39 per cent of the UK total tonnage and 47 per cent of the UK total value of shellfish For key species, Nephrops landings by Scottish vessels were three quarters (75 per cent) of the UK landings by value and 71 per cent by tonnage. Scallops landings were 59 per cent by tonnage and 57 per cent by value of UK landings. The proportions for crabs and lobsters are lower: for edible crabs, Scottish landings were 31 per cent by tonnage and 34 per cent by value of UK landings and for lobsters it was 39 per cent by tonnage and 41 per cent by value.

6.2. Landings into Scotland compared to all landings into the UK

Landings into Scotland were 73 per cent by tonnage and 66 per cent by value of all landings into the UK. This high percentage landed into Scotland applies to all fish landings into the UK across species groups. For demersal species, landings into Scotland represented 84 per cent of the tonnage and 77 per cent of the value. For pelagic landings it was 87 per cent of tonnage and 90 per cent of value and for shellfish landings it was 36 per cent of tonnage and 45 per cent of value.

The Marine Management Organisation produces a comparison of the UK fishing fleet (vessels) by home nation in UK Sea Fisheries Statistics (see Annex 3: Further Infomation).

6.3. Landings by Scottish vessels compared to landings by other European countries

Data on landings for the European Union^[10] are published by Eurostat and include all EU member states with sea fishing fleets as well as Iceland, Norway and Turkey. Data are available for 2017 for all but two member states. The EU fishing fleet in 2017 landed 5.3 million tonnes live weight equivalent, of which the UK fleet landed 722 thousand tonnes^[11] (14 per cent). The UK landed the third-highest tonnage of fish, with Denmark and Spain first and second respectively. The Scottish fleet landed 446 thousand tonnes or eight per cent of the EU total. If the Scottish fleet was counted separately from the rest of the UK fleet, it would be the fourth-highest tonnage of landings in the EU.

6.4. Scottish vessels compared to UK and European Union vessels

The total EU fishing fleet in 2017 was 82,737 vessels, of which 6,199^[12] vessels (7.5 per cent of the total) were registered in the UK. The Scottish fleet numbered 2,065 vessels or 2.5 per cent of the EU total. Compared to 2008, the EU fishing fleet decreased by 3.2 per cent, the UK fleet decreased by 6.5 per cent and the Scottish fleet decreased by 6.1 per cent.