Provisional Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2024

Sea fish and Shellfish landings in 2024

The Provisional Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2024 show that:

• Scottish vessels landed 517 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish in 2024. An increase of three per cent compared to 2023 and an increase of 17 per cent compared to 2015, ten years ago.
• Scottish vessels landed £703 million of sea fish and shellfish in 2024. Adjusted to 2024 prices this is an increase of 21 per cent in the ten years from 2015 to 2024, but a decrease of one per cent compared to 2023.

Performance of each sector

• The pelagic sector landed value, adjusted to 2024 prices, increased by 10 per cent from 2023, to £361 million in 2024. The live weight of pelagic landings increased by seven per cent from 2023, to 371 thousand tonnes in 2024.
• The demersal sector landed value, adjusted to 2024 prices, decreased by six per cent from 2023, to £180 million in 2024. The live weight of demersal landings decreased by seven per cent from 2023, to 93 thousand tonnes in 2024.
• The shellfish sector landed value, adjusted to 2024 prices, decreased by 15 per cent from 2023 to £161 million in 2024. The live weight of shellfish landings decreased by three per cent from 2023, to 52 thousand tonnes in 2024.

Key species

• Mackerel remained the most valuable species in 2024 worth £281 million, making up 40 per cent of the total value of Scottish vessels’ landings. Of the total weight of mackerel landed by Scottish vessels, 57 per cent was landed into Scotland and 43 per cent was landed abroad.
• Haddock, worth £42 million in 2024, was the most valuable demersal species and represented six per cent of the total value of Scottish vessels’ landings.
• Nephrops (Norway lobster or Langoustine) were the most valuable shellfish species in 2024 and represented 11 per cent of the total value of Scottish vessels’ landings. 18 thousand tonnes were landed by Scottish vessels with a value of £76 million.

Scottish fishing vessels and employment

• The number of active Scottish vessels was 2,011 in 2024, a decrease of 5 vessels from 2023.
• In 2024, 3,735 fishers were working on Scottish vessels, down 48 fishers compared to 2023.

UK Quota Uptake

In order to manage key commercial fish stocks sustainably, a limit, known as total allowable catch, is placed on the amount of certain fish species that can be caught in particular areas each year. The UK’s share of this is divided up between eligible vessels and the catch, or quota uptake, is monitored to ensure it remains within agreed limits. The UK’s share can be adjusted in-year and therefore may not be equal to the actual total allowable catch share. Quota uptake varies considerably by species and sea area. UK Quota uptake for some of the key species in 2024 was:

• Mackerel quota uptake was high in both the West of Scotland (100 per cent) and in the North Sea (92 per cent). 
• Quota uptake for Nephrops, the only shellfish species subject to quota, varied from 51 per cent in the North Sea to 73 per cent in the West of Scotland.
• Haddock quota uptake varied from 29 per cent in the West of Scotland VIa, Vb to 64 per cent in the West of Scotland Vlb.