Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2020

1. Introduction

Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics is a National Statistics publication produced by the Marine Analytical Unit (MAU) in Marine Scotland to provide detailed information on the Scottish fishing industry. The statistics presented in this publication include the tonnage and value of all landings of sea fish and shellfish by Scottish vessels, all landings into Scotland, the rest of the UK and abroad; and the size and structure of the Scottish fishing fleet and employment on Scottish vessels. Data on landings by other UK vessels and landings into the UK is also provided.

All landings tonnages are given in terms of live weight equivalent, overall financial values are provided in nominal terms (not adjusted for inflation) and year on year percentage changes in financial values are calculated at 2020 prices to adjust for inflation. Due to the large increase in government funding as a result of Covid-19, the GDP deflator for 2020 has the largest increase relative to the previous year since 1991. This means that the real value of the fish catch reported may be distorted by price changes unrelated to that activity. All tables presented here and in previous publications are available for download from the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics website.

Tables showing vessel numbers by main fishing method were removed from last year's publication. They have been produced using a new methodology and added back into this publication. Further explanation can be found in Annex 1, section 7.6.