Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023
An Accredited Official Statistics publication that provides detailed information on the tonnage and value of landings, fishing vessel characteristics and employment. Detailed supplementary excel tables and a pdf version of the publication are available in supporting documents.
In 2023, Scottish vessels landed 501 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish with a gross value of £652 million (Table 8). Compared to 2022 the value of landings adjusted to 2023 prices increased by one per cent and the tonnage landed has increased by 17 per cent. The value adjusted to 2023 prices of demersal and shellfish species decreased, whereas the value of pelagic species increased. There was an increase in landed tonnage for all three sectors.
The number of voyages made by Scottish vessels was similar to 2022 and 19 per cent fewer than in 2019 (Table 27). This has not resulted in a decrease in the total tonnage landed, with 27 per cent more landed than in 2019. The increase in tonnage landed between 2019 and 2023 was in the pelagic sector. Large pelagic boats make a small number of long voyages resulting in large landings by weight and value.
The total value of landings adjusted to 2023 prices fell by four per cent between 2019 and 2023. The increase in the value of fish landings between 2019 and 2023 is lower than the rate of inflation. The unadjusted value of landings increased by 13 per cent between 2019 and 2023 (Table 8).
Shellfish landed by Scottish vessels and included in this publication are crustaceans, molluscs and cephalopods. This includes species such as lobsters and crabs, which are commonly eaten in restaurants. In 2023, the tonnage of shellfish landed increased by two per cent compared to 2022. However, the value adjusted to 2023 prices decreased by six per cent between 2022 and 2023.
Demersal fish are those which live close to the seabed such as cod, haddock and monkfish. Increased quota allocation for species such as cod has resulted in a 21 per cent increase in demersal fish tonnage landed compared to 2022. However, the value adjusted to 2023 prices of the demersal sector decreased by one per cent between 2022 and 2023.
The pelagic sector are species found mainly in shoals in midwater or near the surface of the sea such as herring and mackerel. This sector is seasonal and generally operates with larger vessels. Annual changes in quota allocation for pelagic species have a big impact on the tonnage and value landed. In 2023, the tonnage of pelagic fish landed increased by 18 per cent compared to 2022. The value adjusted to 2023 prices increased by seven per cent between 2022 and 2023.
Scotland’s commercial fishing industry comprises a significant proportion of the United Kingdom's fishing industry. Landings by Scottish vessels accounted for 62 per cent of the value and 70 per cent of the tonnage of all landings by UK vessels in 2023 (Table 25a).
Chart 1. The real value of the fish landed by Scottish vessels has decreased from a high of £702 million in 2018, to a low of £541 million in 2020 due to the impacts of Covid-19. The value has since increased to £652 million in 2023.
Total tonnage and value (adjusted to 2023 prices) of all landings by Scottish vessels, 2014 to 2023.
Data source: Table 3
As can be seen in Chart 1, the long-term trend for the tonnage of the fish landed by Scottish vessels has been generally stable, at around 450 thousand tonnes, since 2015.
2.1 Key species landed
There was a one per cent change in the real terms value (values for previous years adjusted to 2023 prices) of landings by Scottish vessels between 2022 and 2023. The increase in value of pelagic species was balanced by a decrease in the value of demersal and shellfish species. The value adjusted to 2023 prices of demersal landings decreased by one per cent, shellfish landings decreased by six per cent and pelagic landings increased by seven per cent compared to 2022. Unadjusted values show an increase in the landed values of all species types between 2022 and 2023 (Table 8). However, the increase in the value of demersal and shellfish species types are lower than the general rate of inflation.
The tonnage landed by Scottish vessels increased by 17 per cent between 2022 and 2023. Demersal landings increased by 21 per cent by tonnage, pelagic landings increased by 18 per cent and shellfish landings increased by two per cent. [1] [2] [3]
Table 1. The value adjusted to 2023 prices of cod landings increased by 26 per cent and tonnage increased by 54 per cent between 2022 and 2023. The value adjusted to 2023 prices of Nephrops landings decreased by nine per cent but tonnage increased by six per cent between 2022 and 2023.
Change in total tonnage and value of landings by Scottish vessels between 2022 and 2023.
|
Species |
Tonnage 2023 |
Tonnage change from 2022 (percent) |
Value (thousands of pounds) 2023 |
Value change from 2022 (percent) |
|
Haddock |
36,287 |
35 |
37,981 |
5 |
|
Monkfish |
11,638 |
-3 |
31,427 |
-13 |
|
Cod |
10,546 |
54 |
34,579 |
26 |
|
Whiting |
10,400 |
17 |
10,234 |
-18 |
|
Other demersal |
31,287 |
11 |
55,990 |
-5 |
|
Total demersal |
100,156 |
21 |
170,211 |
-1 |
|
Mackerel |
192,760 |
11 |
247,924 |
9 |
|
Herring |
66,156 |
-9 |
44,205 |
-17 |
|
Other pelagic |
87,835 |
87 |
21,884 |
98 |
|
Total pelagic |
346,750 |
18 |
314,013 |
7 |
|
Nephrops |
20,515 |
6 |
80,697 |
-9 |
|
Scallops |
14,357 |
-14 |
30,362 |
-11 |
|
Edible crabs |
6,904 |
-10 |
16,310 |
-17 |
|
Lobsters |
1,361 |
16 |
19,958 |
14 |
|
Other shellfish |
10,833 |
32 |
20,656 |
6 |
|
Total shellfish |
53,969 |
2 |
167,984 |
-6 |
|
Total |
500,875 |
17 |
652,208 |
1 |
Mackerel remained the most valuable species with £248 million landed, accounting for 38 per cent of the total value of Scottish landings. The increase in mackerel tonnage in 2023 is in line with an increase in available quota. Quota is the share of the fish catch allowed to vessels. Scottish vessels’ landings accounted for just over four fifths (83 per cent) of UK mackerel landings by tonnage and 85 per cent by value.
Scottish vessels commonly catch a wide variety of demersal species, including more than a dozen species with landings that are worth over £2 million annually (Table 8). Haddock was the most valuable demersal species and represented six per cent of the total value of Scottish vessels’ landings and 22 per cent of the value of demersal landings in 2023.
Chart 2. Mackerel is the most common fish species landed by Scottish vessels by weight. 193 thousand tonnes of mackerel were landed in 2023, more than double the next most common species by weight, Blue whiting.
Scottish vessel’s most commonly landed fish species by tonnes landed in the UK and abroad, 2023.
Data source: Table 8.
Chart 3. Mackerel is the most common fish species landed by Scottish vessels by value. £248 million of mackerel were landed in 2023, triple the next most common species by value, Nephrops.
Scottish vessel’s highest value landed fish species by thousands of pounds landed in the UK and abroad, 2023.
Data Source: Table 8.
Nephrops are the most valuable shellfish stock and the only shellfish species currently subject to quota. Scottish vessels fish for Nephrops by creeling and by trawling. Creeled Nephrops are often caught and exported live. Creeled Nephrops represent a smaller tonnage of landings, but attract an average price per tonne three times that of trawled Nephrops. Some trawled Nephrops are sold whole but the majority are sold as tails for turning into scampi. In 2023, 1,474 tonnes of creeled Nephrops were landed by Scottish vessels with a value of £16 million [4]. 19 thousand tonnes of trawled Nephrops were landed worth £64 million. These data are presented in Table 30c.
2.2 Long term sector trends
Over the past 10 years, 2014 to 2023, the tonnage of pelagic landings has increased by five per cent with real terms value (value adjusted to 2023 prices) increasing by 11 per cent. Pelagic landing tonnage is largely driven by the available quota (Tables 36a to 36d).
Compared to 2014, the tonnage of demersal landings increased by 13 per cent with the value adjusted to 2023 prices decreasing by seven per cent. Demersal landing tonnage is affected by available quotas, affecting some species, such as cod, more than others (Tables 36a to 36d). Over the period 2014 to 2023, the tonnage of shellfish landings fell by 12 per cent with the value adjusted to 2023 prices decreasing by 13 per cent.
Chart 4. Landings of pelagic species by Scottish vessels decreased gradually from 330 thousand tonnes in 2014 to 234 thousand tonnes in 2019 before increasing to 347 thousand tonnes in 2023.
Tonnage of landings by Scottish vessels by species type, 2014 to 2023.
Data source: Table 3.
Chart 5. The value adjusted to 2023 prices of shellfish species landed by Scottish vessels increased from £194 million in 2014 to £232 million in 2019. The landed shellfish value adjusted to 2023 prices then plummeted to £135 million in 2020 before increasing to £168 million in 2023.
Value (adjusted to 2023 prices) of landings by Scottish vessels by species type, 2014 to 2023
Data source: Table 3
2.3 Fish prices
Scottish vessels land a vast range of different species throughout the year and they all achieve different prices at auction. The price achieved will vary by species, individual market, supply, demand, seasonality and the condition of the fish. Table 2 shows the average price per tonne for a selection of species landed by Scottish vessels.
Mackerel is the highest value species for Scottish vessels yet has a much lower price per tonne than many other species. It is the vast tonnage of mackerel caught that leads to the value being so high.
Lobsters have a high price per tonne yet a fairly low value compared to other main species. This is due to seasonality, lobster is not in season during several months of the year resulting in a lower tonnage landed throughout the year compared to other species. They are also considered a luxury food and tend to be purchased mainly by the hospitality sector.
Table 2. There is great variation in the prices achieved across the different species. Lobsters have a high price, at £14,667 per tonne in 2023, whereas blue whiting has a low price, at £249 per tonne in 2023.
Change in price per tonne of selected species landed by Scottish vessels between 2022 and 2023 [5] [6]
|
Species |
Price per tonne 2023 (pounds) |
Price per tonne 2022 at 2023 prices (pounds) |
Price per tonne change from 2022 (percent) |
|
Mackerel |
1,286 |
1,315 |
-2 |
|
Nephrops |
3,934 |
4,592 |
-14 |
|
Herring |
668 |
732 |
-9 |
|
Haddock |
1,047 |
1,351 |
-23 |
|
Cod |
3,279 |
3,987 |
-18 |
|
Monkfish |
2,700 |
3,001 |
-10 |
|
Scallops |
2,115 |
2,040 |
4 |
|
Blue whiting |
249 |
227 |
10 |
|
Lobsters |
14,667 |
14,820 |
-1 |
|
Edible crabs |
2,362 |
2,573 |
-8 |
2.4 Total Allowable Catches quota and uptake
Total Allowable Catches (TAC) are limits set at annual international negotiations for individual fish stocks and represent the maximum of each fish stock that can be caught. Up until 2020, while the UK was still a member of the European Union (EU) the majority of stocks were managed and fished only by EU member states. Member States’ access to management and fishing of stocks were based on a number of factors, including historic track record. The TACs for these stocks were set by the European Commission through internal negotiations between EU member states with an interest and based on independent scientific advice from ICES.
The remaining stocks were managed and shared with other Coastal States: Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Russia, with TACs for these set at separate negotiations. The amounts corresponding to this share, known as quotas, are shown at the UK and at the Scottish Producers Organisations’ (POs) level in tables 36a to 36d. Some Scottish vessels are not within Scottish Producer Organisations and Scottish Producer Organisations can contain some UK but non-Scottish vessels. This means that the totals in table 37, which relate to Scottish vessels may not agree with the totals from tables 36a to 36d, which relate to Scottish Producer Organisations.
Uptake of key commercial quota stocks by all Scottish vessels by tonnage and value landed are presented in table 37.
In general, Scottish POs had high quota uptake in 2023 for key demersal and pelagic species. Uptake of mackerel stocks in the North Sea was 95 per cent and uptake of mackerel stocks in the West of Scotland exceeded quota [7].
For demersal stocks, uptake in the North Sea was generally high with cod quota uptake at 99 per cent and monkfish at 98 per cent. West of Scotland cod has a nil quota and is managed as a bycatch.
The only shellfish species subject to quota is Nephrops. In 2023, Scottish PO quota uptake for North Sea Nephrops was 57 per cent and for West Coast Nephrops it was 73 per cent. This is 23 percentage points down compared to 2022 for the North Sea and six percentage points up for the West Coast.
2.5 Where Scottish vessels land their fish
Scottish vessels land their catches into Scotland, the rest of the UK and several countries abroad. In 2023, Scottish vessels landed 190 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish worth £163 million abroad.
Chart 6. Scottish vessels landed 72 per cent of their catch by value, worth £468 million in 2023, into Scotland. A further 20 per cent by value, worth £128 million in 2023, was landed into Norway.
Top countries Scottish vessels landed their catch into by value (millions of pounds), in 2023.
Data source: Table 4, Table 5, Table 8, Table 28.
Landings abroad accounted for 38 per cent of all landings by Scottish vessels by tonnage and 25 per cent by value. Of this, 95 per cent of the tonnage landed abroad was pelagic.
The main species landed abroad was mackerel, representing 76 per cent of the total value of fish landed abroad in 2023. There were 92 thousand tonnes of mackerel worth £123 million landed abroad, which is 48 per cent of the total tonnage and 50 per cent of the value of mackerel landed by Scottish vessels.
Norway is by far the largest destination for Scottish vessels’ landings abroad, accounting for 20 per cent by value of all Scottish vessels’ landings and 79 per cent by value of all landings abroad by Scottish vessels. In 2023, 84 per cent of the value of landings into Norway was for mackerel, amounting to 81 thousand tonnes with a value of £108 million.
2.6 Area of capture
Scottish vessels are most active in two main ICES areas [8]: the Northern North Sea (ICES Area IVa) and the West Coast of Scotland (ICES Area VIa).
In 2023, 274 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish with a value of £388 million were landed from the Northern North Sea (IVa), representing 55 per cent of the tonnage and 60 per cent of the value of all landings by Scottish vessels (Table 31). 29 per cent of landings by Scottish vessels, by tonnage were caught in the West Coast of Scotland (VIa), providing 27 per cent of the total value of all Scottish landings. Area VII accounted for nine per cent of the tonnage of all landings and four per cent of value.
[1] Values are based on 2023 prices and percentage changes reflect real changes after adjusting for inflation. The deflator applied can be found here: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP June 2024 (Quarterly National Accounts) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
[2] Percentages are based on unrounded data and may differ from calculations using rounded data in tables.
[3]Values may not sum to their respective totals due to rounding.
[4] The values in Table 30c. Scottish vessels’ landings by gear type are slightly lower than Table 8, because some Nephrops are also caught by demersal gear types. Other species may also be affected by this.
[5] Values are based on 2023 prices and percentage changes reflect real changes after adjusting for inflation. The deflator applied can be found here: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP June 2024 (Quarterly National Accounts) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
[6] Percentages are based on unrounded data and may differ from calculations using rounded data in tables.
[7] Landings can exceed quota if POs or vessels ‘carry over’ some quota from a previous year into the next year, within agreed limits. There is also an allowance so that a country can exceed up to ten per cent of its quota on a particular stock and the excess is deducted from the following year’s quota allocation.
[8] ICES is the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
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