Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023 - corrected March 2025

Sea fish and shellfish landings in 2023

The unadjusted Scottish fishing industry value in 2023 was eight per cent higher than in 2022. However, when values are adjusted to 2023 prices, the value of the fishing industry increased by only one per cent from 2022. The general rate of inflation used to adjust values to 2023 prices is high and this will impact all monetary values and analysis. A summary of the headline numbers are:

• Scottish vessels landed 501 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish in 2023. An increase of 17 per cent compared to 2022 and an increase of 27 per cent compared to 2019.
• Scottish vessels landed £683 million of sea fish and shellfish in 2023. An increase of 16 per cent in the unadjusted value of landings compared to 2019. However, the value of landings adjusted to 2023 prices fell by two per cent between 2019 and 2023.
• Scottish vessels landed 190 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish worth £175 million abroad in 2023. Landings abroad make up 38 per cent of tonnage and 26 per cent by value.

Performance of each sector

The pelagic and demersal sectors increased between 2022 and 2023, whereas the value of the shellfish sector decreased. The changes for each sector were:

• The value of pelagic landings, adjusted to 2023 prices, increased by seven per cent.
• The value of demersal landings, adjusted to 2023 prices, increased by one per cent.
• The value of shellfish landings, adjusted to 2023 prices, decreased by nine per cent.

The 17 per cent increase in tonnage landed by Scottish vessels between 2022 and 2023 results from an increase in landings for all three sectors:

• Demersal landings increased by 21 per cent.
• Pelagic landings increased by 18 per cent.
• Shellfish landings increased by two per cent.

Key species

• Mackerel remained the most valuable species in 2023 worth £248 million, making up 36 per cent of the total value of Scottish vessels’ landings.
• Haddock was the most valuable demersal species and represented six per cent of the total value of Scottish vessels’ landings.
• In 2023, 1,474 tonnes of creeled Nephrops were landed by Scottish vessels with a value of £17 million. 19 thousand tonnes of trawled Nephrops were landed worth £69 million.

The Scottish fishing fleet

The number of active Scottish vessels was 2,006 in 2023, a decrease of one per cent compared to 2014:

• The Scottish fleet is dominated by vessels that are 10 metres and under in length with a total of 1,530 vessels falling into this category in 2023. There are 476 over 10 metre vessels.
• Compared to 2014, the 10 metre and under fleet has increased by six per cent while the over 10 metre fleet has decreased by 18 per cent.
• The over 40 metre Scottish vessels make up just one per cent of the number of vessels but landed 47 per cent of all landings by value.

Employment on Scottish fishing vessels

• In 2023, 3,793 fishers were working on Scottish vessels, down 326 fishers compared to 2022.
• Since 2014, employment on Scottish vessels has fallen 13 per cent.