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Mixed picture for Shetland fish landings

Fishing boats tied up at Lerwick harbour.

New annual figures for Shetland fish and shellfish landings show an increase in volume but a drop in value.

Just over 54,000 tonnes – worth some £72 million – were landed in the islands during 2020, nearly half of it by Shetland boats.

The total tonnage was up by 7% year-on-year but the value fell 10%.

Cod quota cut bites

Some 18,600 tonnes of white-fish worth £37m were landed in Shetland, more than
two-thirds of it by local boats.

This was substantially less than in 2019, down 23% by volume and 28% by value, which was mainly due to a 50% cut in cod quota.

But, according to the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), more fish and shellfish were landed in Shetland than in any other port in the UK except Peterhead.

Three Shetland ports in UK top 15

Lerwick, Scalloway and Cullivoe were all in the top 15 UK ports for white-fish
landings.

About 2,100 tonnes of shellfish – worth nearly £5m – were landed in Shetland, 4% more by weight than in 2019 but significantly less in value (down 23%).

A total of 33,000 tonnes of pelagic species – such as mackerel and herring – worth £30m were landed in the islands during 2020, up 37% by volume and 34% by value on the year before.

Shetland boats landed 94,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish worth £105m into all ports last year.

This equates to nearly one-quarter of all the fish and shellfish landed by Scottish vessels, and 15% of that landed by UK boats.

Shetland UHI’s latest landings report is based on an analysis by researcher Ian Napier of figures from the Scottish and UK governments.

Little impact from Covid

Mr Napier said Shetland landings were not badly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, adding: “The biggest probable impact was on the prices of shellfish and, to a lesser extent, of some white-fish species.”

He continued: “Shetland’s seafood industry continued to operate throughout the pandemic.

“Boats continued to land fish and shellfish in Shetland, the white-fish auction continued to operate, and fish and shellfish continued to be exported from the islands.”


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