2017 Scots sea fishing catch valued at £559m

Provisional figures show that Scottish-registered fishing vessels landed 464,000 tonnes of sea fish and shellfish in 2017 with a value of £559 million.

This represents an increase of 10,600 tonnes and £2.6 million from 2016, the Scottish government said.

There were 2,068 active Scottish registered fishing vessels in 2017, an increase of 2% from 2016.

The number of fishers employed on these vessels was 4,799, just below the 4,823 in 2016.

Mackerel remains the most valuable stock to the Scottish fleet, accounting for 29% or £162 million of the total value of Scottish vessels’ landings.

The value of haddock landings increased by 13% in 2017 to £42 million, monkfish landings increased 4% to £36 million, and the value of cod increased 24% to £34 million.

Nephrops — Norway Lobster/Langoustine — are the most valuable shellfish stock, accounting for 42% of shellfish landings, and overall the second most valuable stock to the Scottish fleet.

In 2017, the total value of Nephrops was £74 million, about 3% lower than 2016.

The increase in value of the shellfish sector was largely driven by increased value of squid, scallops, edible crabs and lobsters.