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2. Overview of Catches and Landings

2.1 Landings by Scottish based vessels

Scottish based vessels made just under 69 thousand voyages in 2005, a three per cent decrease on the number in 2004 ( Table 18). These voyages were however, more productive: the total quantity landed increased by 13 per cent to 483 thousand tonnes while the total value of these landings went up by 14 per cent in real terms to £349 million. Pelagic landings formed 68 per cent of the total landed although the relatively low prices achieved by pelagic species resulted in the sector contributing only 33 per cent of the total value landed (Chart I). Conversely, demersal species which fetch higher prices, made up 21 per cent of total weight landed but formed 35 per cent of the total value landed. High value shellfish landings formed only 11 per cent of the total by weight but 32 per cent by value. Despite having declined sharply in total value (real terms) since 1998 ( Chart 11), the demersal sector remained the most valuable to the Scottish based fleet in 2005. The proportion of the value of the annual catch of the Scottish based fleet landed into Scotland increased slightly between 2004 and 2005, from 82 to 84 per cent (calculated from table 18).

Chart I: Total landings³by Scottish based vessels by species type, 2005

Looking at the longer term trends, the value of demersal landings increased by 8 per cent in real terms in 2005 to reach £123 million, reversing the decline observed over the period 2001-2004. Nevertheless, the 2005 figure is 27 per cent lower in real terms compared with 2001. Over the same period, the value of pelagic landings (at 2005 prices) has increased by 6 per cent from £108 million in 2001 to £114 million in 2005. The value of shellfish landings has also increased by 6 per cent in real terms over this period to reach £112 million.

The total quantity of fish landed by Scottish vessels has fallen by one per cent since 2001 (calculated from Table 17) affecting the demersal sector most (down by 30 thousand tonnes or 23 per cent). Pelagic landings by Scottish based vessels into UK ports have increased since 2001 by 86 thousand tonnes to 217 thousand tonnes while pelagic landings abroad have decreased by 62 thousand tonnes, resulting in an overall increase of 24 thousand tonnes, or 8 per cent. Annual quantities of shellfish landed have remained relatively stable over this period.

2.2 Total landings into Scotland

The quantity and value of all landings into each Scottish Fishery Office district are shown in Figures 1 and 2, respectively.

In 2005, the total value of fish landed into Scottish ports by vessels of all nationalities was £370 million, representing a 16 per cent increase over the value of landings in 2004, at 2005 prices. The increase in value compared with 2001 (at 2005 prices) is 10 per cent. In 2005, the total quantity landed into Scottish ports by vessels of all nationalities was 441 thousand tonnes, 7 per cent higher than in 2004 and 26 per cent higher than in 2001 ( Table 17). There has been a substantial switch in the contribution of the demersal and pelagic sectors since 2001, with demersal species declining from 43 per cent to 28 per cent of landed volume, while pelagic species have increased from 42 per cent to 59 per cent (calculated from Table 17). Since 2001 the quota for key demersal ⁴ and key pelagic ⁵ stocks has decreased by 11 and 13 per cent respectively.

Table II: Combined UK quota ('000 tonnes) for key demersal and pelagic stocks 2001-2005 (based on Table 15)

2.3 Landings by UK vessels into Scotland by area and district

In 2005, UK vessels landed 366 thousand tonnes of all species, at a value of £309 million, into Scottish ports. These landings represent an increase of 9 per cent in quantity and an increase of 17 per cent in value from 2004 (at 2005 prices) ( Table 17). The value of landings at 2005 prices by UK vessels into Scotland has increased by 8 per cent since 2001.

The species combination of these landings was broadly similar to that of landings by Scottish based vessels (Chart I), although pelagic vessels formed a smaller proportion of the UK landings into Scotland total (Chart II) as Scottish vessels landed 111 thousand pelagic tonnes abroad ( Table 17).

Chart II: Landings⁶by UK vessels into Scotland, 2005

Regional breakdown

Eastern Area: Eyemouth, Pittenweem, Aberdeen, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Buckie (Comparisons calculated from table 21)

• In 2005, landings by UK vessels into the six eastern districts increased by five per cent and the value of these landings increased by 25 per cent to £162 million.

• Only Eyemouth and Aberdeen experienced slight decreases in the value of landings in 2005.

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

• The value of pelagic landings into Shetland increased by 55 per cent to £41 million. The increase of £17 million in the total value of all landings into Shetland meant that the value of landings in the Northern area increased by 19 per cent in 2005 despite decreases in value of landings in all districts in Northern, other than Orkney and Shetland.
• The volume of landings decreased at all northern districts except Orkney and Shetland.

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

• The volume and value of landings at western districts in 2005 were similar to those in 2004.
• Decreases in value and volume in some districts were offset by increases in other districts. However, of particular interest is the increase in price achieved for shellfish landed into the Campbeltown district where the value of shellfish landed increased by £888 thousand (12 per cent) in spite of a 12 per cent decrease in the quantity of shellfish landed.

2.4 Landings by foreign vessels into Scotland

Foreign vessels landed 75 thousand tonnes worth £62 million into Scottish ports in 2005, a slight decrease in quantity, but an 11 per cent increase in value from 2004 (at 2005 prices). The proportion of total tonnage landed by foreign vessels (17 percent in 2005) has been relatively stable at 16 to 19 per cent since 2001 ( Table 17).

The species types landed by foreign vessel has also remained similar to recent years, with pelagic forming 59 per cent by volume but only 30 per cent by value (Chart III). Most of the remainder comprised demersal species, with negligible landings of shellfish of just 526 tonnes in 2005 ( Table 24).

Chart III: Foreign landings⁷into Scotland by species type, 2005

2.5 Uptake of UK quota

2.5.1 Demersal stocks

Quota uptake reached 90 per cent or more for five of the ten most valuable demersal stocks ( NS Cod, NS Haddock, NS Plaice, NS Norway Lobster and NS Monkfish; Chart IV, Table 15). Uptake of these key quota stocks in 2005 was broadly similar to that in 2004, with some notable exceptions:

• Uptake of NS Haddock increased from 82 to 96 per cent as landings increased by five per cent while quota decreased by 11 per cent.
• Landings of NS Whiting were higher than in 2004, but with an increase in quota of 55 per cent in 2005, the proportion of quota that this represented fell from 92 to 77 per cent.
• Landings of NS Saithe increased by 37 per cent as quota decreased by 30 per cent meaning that uptake increased from 44 to 86 per cent.
• Uptake of WS Haddock fell from 65 to 46 per cent, largely as a consequence of an increase in quota by 34 per cent.

Chart IV: Quota uptake of main North Sea ( NS) and West of Scotland ( WS) demersal stocks by UK vessels in 2004 and 2005

2.5.2 Pelagic stocks

Quota uptake for the four most important pelagic stocks continued to be high in 2005, approaching 100 per cent for NS Herring, WS Herring and WS Mackerel and exceeding 90 per cent for WS Horse Mackerel. This was in spite of large differences in quota from 2004:

• NS Herring quota increased by 46 per cent and was matched by a 47 per cent increase in landings.
• WS Mackerel quota decreased by 27 per cent; landings correspondingly decreased by 26 per cent.
• WS Horse Mackerel quota decreased by 37 per cent and landings correspondingly decreased by 36 per cent.

Chart V: Quota uptake of main North Sea ( NS) and West of Scotland ( WS) pelagic stocks by UK vessels in 2004 and 2005

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