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Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2003

2. Overview of Catches and Landings

2.1 Total landings into Scotland

The total quantity landed into Scottish ports by all vessels and all nationalities in 2003 was, at 379 thousand tonnes, virtually unchanged from 2002 ( Table 17) but 3 per cent lower than in 1999. There has however, been a substantial switch in the contribution of the demersal and pelagic sectors over this period, with demersal species declining from 52 per cent to 35 per cent of all volume landed while pelagic species have increased from 35 per cent to 52 per cent of all volume landed (calculated from Table 17). This switch has been associated with quota reductions for all of the most important demersal stocks since 1999: the combined quota for key demersal stocks ¹ having fallen by 49 per cent over this period while that for key pelagic stocks has remained relatively constant (Table II). Landings of shellfish species are generally not subject to quota restrictions and remained stable at 13 per cent of total landings over this period.

Table II: Combined UK quota ('000 tonnes) for key demersal and pelagic stocks* 1999-2003

* defined in footnote 1

2.2 Landings by UK vessels into Scotland by area and district

In 2003, UK vessels landed 306 thousand tonnes of all species, at a value of 231 million, into Scottish ports. These landings represent a reduction of 3 per cent in quantity and 11 per cent in value from 2002 ( Table 17).

Pelagic landings formed just over half of the total quantity landed although the relatively low prices achieved by pelagic species ( Chart 8) resulted in the sector contributing only a fifth of the total value landed (Chart I). Conversely, demersal species which fetch higher prices, made up under a third of total quantity landed but formed just under 40 per cent of total value landed. High value shellfish landings formed only 16 per cent of the total by quantity but 39 per cent by value.

Chart I: Landings by UK vessels into Scotland, 2003 Eastern Area: Eyemouth, Pittenweem, Aberdeen, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Buckie

(comparisons calculated from Table 21)

• In 2003, landings by UK vessels fell at four of the six eastern districts, by between 3 per cent (Peterhead) and 25 per cent (Eyemouth), while the value of these landings dropped at three districts by between 5 per cent (Eyemouth) and 16 percent (Aberdeen).

These decreases were mainly due to reduced landings of demersal species experienced at all districts.

• Only Fraserburgh and Buckie experienced increases in total amount landed in 2003.
• At Fraserburgh, an extra 8.4 thousand tonnes of pelagic species was largely responsible for the 22 per cent increase in total tonnage landed,
• At Buckie, a 40 per cent increase in shellfish landings boosted the total value of landings there (all species) by 22 per cent.

Northern Area : Wick, Orkney, Shetland, Stornoway, Kinlochbervie, Lochinver

• Among the northern districts, only Shetland experienced a small increase in the total quantity landed by UK vessels, due entirely to an extra 4.9 thousand tonnes of pelagic species in 2003. The value of these landings was insufficient to prevent the total value of landings of all species into Shetland falling by 16 per cent since 2002.
• Total amounts landed at the other northern districts dropped by between 2 percent (Stornoway) and 32 per cent (Lochinver), largely as a result of a slump in demersal landings.
• Increased quantities and value of shellfish landed into Kinlochbervie and Lochinver however, helped reduce overall losses at these districts

Western Area: Ullapool, Mallaig, Portree, Oban, Campbeltown, Ayr

• Portree was the only western district to show a slight increase in the quantity and value of landings in 2003 (up by 3 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively). This was due to an 79 per cent increase in demersal landings since 2002, athough the quantity involved was relatively small (667 tonnes).
• The total quantities landed at the other five western districts fell by 2 per cent (Campbeltown) to 25 per cent (Oban), while the total value of landings fell by 1 per cent (Portree) to 19 per cent (Oban).
• The decline of the demersal sector was the main reason behind these reductions except at Ullapool which experienced an 86 per cent drop in pelagic landings, and at Ayr where a 21 per cent fall in shellfish landings was the biggest change.

2.3 Landings by foreign vessels into Scotland

Foreign vessels landed 73.1 thousand tonnes, worth 51.7 million, into Scottish ports in 2003. The proportion of fish landed into Scotland by foreign vessels increased from 10 per cent in 1999 to 19 percent in 2003 by volume (Table 17). This increase is largely due to a dramatic increase in the volumes of low value pelagic species landed into Scotland. The volumes of demersal species landed by foreign vessels has also increased over the same period but were lower in 2003 than the previous year.

The species composition of foreign landings differed notably from that by UK vessels (Charts II and I, respectively) with demersal species forming most of the tonnage landed (52 per cent) and negligible quantities of shellfish (0.3 per cent).

Chart II: Foreign landings into Scotland by species type, 2003

2.4 Landings by Scottish based vessels

Scottish based vessels made just under 72 thousand voyages in 2003, a similar number to 2002 ( Table 18). These voyages were however, less productive on average than in 2002: the total quantity of fish landed fell by 12 percent to 391 thousand tonnes while the total value of these landings fell by 15 per cent to 279 million. The species composition of these landings (Chart III) was broadly similar to that of UK vessels landing into Scotland (Chart I), although Scottish based vessels landed proportionally more pelagic species and less demersal species and shellfish (Chart III), due primarily to 78 thousand tonnes of pelagic landings abroad ( Table 17). Despite having declined sharply in total value since 1998, demersal species remained the most valuable species type landed by Scottish based vessels in 2003, forming 39 per cent of the total 280 million landed (Chart III). Shellfish formed the next most valuable segment of the catch at 33 per cent, while the value of pelagic landings slipped to 28 per cent of the total, due to a fall of 20 thousand tonnes landed ( Table 17) compounded by a slight reduction in average prices for pelagic species.

Chart III: Total landings by Scottish based vessels by species type, 2003

Looking at the longer term trends, total landings by Scottish vessels have fallen by 205 thousand tonnes or 34 per cent since 1999 (calculated from Table 17) affecting the demersal sector most (down by 93 thousand tonnes or 48 percent). Pelagic landings by Scottish based vessels into UK ports have increased since 1999 by 34 thousand tonnes to 163 thousand tonnes, but this has been insufficient to offset a fall of 147 thousand (pelagic) tonnes landed abroad, resulting in an overall reduction of 113 thousand tonnes, or 32 per cent. Annual quantities of shellfish landed have remained relatively stable over this period .

The proportion of the annual catch of the Scottish based fleet that was landed into Scotland increased from 68 per cent in 2002 to 75 per cent in 2003 and in value terms increased from 75 per cent to 79 per cent.

2.5 Uptake of UK quota

2.5.1 Demersal stocks

Quota uptake reached over 90 per cent for six of the ten most valuable demersal stocks (NS Cod, NS Haddock, NS Monkfish, WS Cod, WS Haddock and WS Norway Lobster) and in most cases exceeded percentage uptake in 2002 (Chart IV). With the 2003 quotas set below the quantity landed in 2002 for six of these stocks, the substantially increased uptakes of North Sea Haddock (from 72 per cent to almost 100 per cent), North Sea Whiting (from 46 per cent to 88 per cent), West of Scotland Haddock (from 67 per cent to 99 per cent) and West of Scotland Cod (from 60 per cent to 95 per cent) can be completely explained by reduced quotas rather than increased catching rates.

There were significant reductions in the uptake of two quota stocks: North Sea Plaice (76 per cent - down from 88 per cent in 2002) and especially North Sea Saithe (53 per cent - down from 87 per cent in 2002). The low uptake of North Sea Saithe might reflect the low profitability of fishing for this species, which fetches poor prices at market and is caught mainly in more northerly grounds where fishing is more expensive in terms of fuel and time spent at sea. The reduced uptake of North Sea Plaice will have been at least partly due to reduced fishing effort in 2003 by the beam trawler fleet.

Chart IV: Quota uptake of main North Sea (NS) and West of Scotland (WS) demersal stocks by UK vessels in 2002 and 2003

2.5.2 Pelagic stocks

Quota uptake for the four most important pelagic stocks continued to be high in 2003, exceeding 90 per cent for North Sea Herring, West of Scotland Herring, West of Scotland Mackerel and West of Scotland Horse Mackerel (Chart V). As with some of the demersal stocks noted above, quota change provides a better explanation of the pelagic uptake changes, than catching rate. Thus, landings of WS Herring and WS Horse Mackerel were all slightly down on 2002, yet percentage uptake was similar or higher due to reduced quotas. There was however, a slightly reduced percentage uptake of WS Mackerel despite a small quota reduction in 2003.

Chart V: Quota uptake of main North Sea (NS) and West of Scotland (WS) pelagic stocks by UK vessels in 2002 and 2003

Footnote

¹ Key demersal stocks are considered to be North Sea & West of Scotland stocks of Cod, Haddock, Monkfish, Whiting, Saithe, Plaice and Norway Lobster. Key pelagic stocks are considered to be North Sea & West of Scotland stocks of Mackerel, Herring and Horse Mackerel.

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