There are 5,205 fishermen in Scotland and 2,224 vessels in the Scottish fishing fleet of which 1,518 are under 10 metre vessels. Fishing activity takes place all around the Scottish coast and islands. 

Pelagic vessels

There are 26 pelagic vessels in the Scottish fleet with an average of length of 62m.  The boats use sophisticated technology to target the fish they land to make them as efficient as possible. The target species of the Scottish pelagic fleet are mackerel and herring and are only fished at certain times of the year when the quality is at its best.

Shellfish vessels

The shellfish fleet makes up the majority of the Scottish fishing fleet and is the most labour intensive fishery with most vessels under 10m.  The boats use different methods to catch their target species. They use creels, trawls and dredges. There are many boats under 10m, mainly on the West coast, which fish just for 1 day at a time and land live shellfish. In the North East the larger boats usually fish for up to a week at a time and land chilled shellfish, mainly langoustine.

Whitefish vessels

In 2001 and 2003 decommissioning schemes removed 165 vessels from the fleet, equating to 24,527 tonnes, and 66,515 kilowatts of engine power. The result was a reduction of pressure on fish stocks and a more streamlined white fish fleet. The majority of the remaining 300 boats fish with single or twin rig trawls from ports in the North East of Scotland. The main white fish species targeted are haddock, cod and saithe (coley). Monkfish and flatfish species are also landed.

Processing

Scotland has about 230 processors, most of which are primary. There are also a few secondary processors in Scotland, they concentrate on foodservice and retail supply. Between them they employ approximately 7,000 people with the majority of the employment in the shellfish sector.

Processing is concentrated in Grampian which makes up 51% of all of the processing units and provides 62% of the employment. The Highlands and Islands is the next most important in terms of employment in the processing sector and provides 16% of the processing units as well as 11% of the employment.

Market overview for Scottish seafood – domestic & export

The Scottish seafood sector can be segmented into 3 different product areas, each with a different market: pelagic, demersal (white fish) and shellfish. Although the pelagic sector represents by far the largest volume of landings, the shellfish sector is of highest value. This can be largely attributed to Nephrops or Scottish Langoustine, a top quality unique product in high demand in continental Europe and attracting good prices.

Pelagic species

Markets

Pelagic species are oil rich fish species. In Scotland the main species are herring, mackerel and blue whiting. 

• The top 3 markets for herring are the Netherlands, Germany and Russia.
• The top 3 markets for mackerel are Russia, the Netherlands and Nigeria.
• The principal market for blue whiting is fish meal.

The product is shipped block frozen in large volumes to lower value markets, such as Russia and Nigeria, although increasing volumes are going to China and Japan. Culturally, Germany and the Netherlands have always consumed high levels of oil rich fish.

Demersal species

Markets

Demersal species landed into Scotland are wide ranging and diverse. Each species has a different market, customer base, value and market share.

The principal white fish species landed into Scotland are haddock, cod, monkfish, whiting and saithe (coley). Other species include sole, turbot, pollack, plaice, megrim, ling, lemon sole, halibut and hake.

Haddock & Cod

The main market for haddock and cod is the UK home market, for both chilled and frozen product. The retail market includes independent fishmongers, as well as supermarkets. The foodservice market includes fish & chip shops and restaurants. A small quantity is exported. 

Monkfish and Whiting

Although there is a market in the UK for these species, demand is also strong from European countries, which raises their value – especially of monkfish.

Saithe (coley)

Scotland has good quotas for Saithe, but these are underutilised because there is a serious lack of market outlets for this product. It has a darker flesh colour than conventional white fish species, and is generally used in added value products such as pies and ready meals, where the colour passes unnoticed. Germany is the most important export market for Saithe.

Shellfish

Markets

The main shellfish species are Nephrops (Scottish Langoustine), brown crab, scallops, squid and lobster.

Markets for shellfish are principally European export, and can be segmented into three main categories: live, chilled and frozen. Live is the highest value product, because of the cost of production and transport. Demand for live product is high, but the volume of supply is low, due to a need for expert fishing methods and care of the catch. 
 
Scottish Langoustine

The 3 main markets for Scottish langoustine are France, Spain and Italy.
Langoustine sizes are referred to in pieces per kilogram. For example size 10-15 has 10 to 15 pieces per kilo, and is therefore larger than size 41-50, which has 41 to 50 pieces per kilo and is much smaller. 

Packaging for chilled product in all countries is in 3 or 5 kilo poly boxes, whereas frozen is more complex with various types of packaging, different weights and a varying percentage of glaze.
 

Crab

Brown crab is the main species landed into Scotland and is processed and sold as whole crab, white crab meat, and brown crab meat. 

The main European market for crab is France, followed by Spain and Portugal. It may be sold whole live or cooked chilled. The meat is also used as an ingredient in value added products.

The UK foodservice and retail sectors are important markets for white crab meat, which is considered a high value product. It is more expensive than brown meat, because it is more difficult to extract from the claws and the body of the crab, and involves high labour costs.  

Brown crab meat can be used in soups, pâtés and sauces, but demand in the UK is poor, despite availability in high volumes. It is sold to the foodservice market at a much lower price than white meat.

Dressed crab is also a market outlet within the UK retail sector, but this is a traditional product which is in decline. 

Scallops

The market for scallops is divided into whole shell, half shell and meat. Scallops can be dredged or dive caught.  Dive caught scallops are usually destined for the live market and fetch a higher price, as they are considered to be of better quality.

• The principal markets for scallop meat are France and Italy. 

• Spain, France and Italy are important markets for whole shell scallops, which go to the high value live markets.

• A small volume of scallop meats and live whole shell are destined for the UK retail and wholesale market, respectively.

Squid

Squid is fished seasonally in Scotland, during the summer and autumn months, and is marketed directly to Spain.  Although the majority is sold in frozen form, Scottish squid also competes on the fresh market with French and Italian landings.

Lobster

Lobsters are caught all year round but the market is highly volatile and volumes are low. Periods of high demand include Christmas and Easter. This species is usually a side-line for creel boats and processors involved in live langoustine or crab markets.