Kinlochbervie fish landing stats ‘best in the country’ after 25 per cent increase in value
Fish landing statistics from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) have revealed a 25 per cent rise in value of fish caught at Kinlochbervie over the last 11 months.
The north-west Sutherland harbour has also seen a 22 per cent increase in tonnage, noted as the best performing location in the country - bucking the trend for Scotland as a whole, which has seen a 19 per cent fall in value and and an 18 per cent drop in tonnage.
Economist Tony Mackay noted: “The Scottish totals are very disappointing, however, the Kinlochbervie statistics saw a big 25 per cent rise in value and +22 per cent in tonnage. Those were the best in the country by far.
“The table for the 11 months to date of both years shows a 1 per cent fall in value but a +6% rise in tonnage in Scotland as a whole.
“The Kinlochbervie statistics are also much better – a 21 per cent rise in value and a 32 per cent rise in tonnage.
“The harbour is also ranked first in Scotland for the changes in 2024 to date.
“These statistics are much better than those for the other fishing ports in Highland region, notably Scrabster and Ullapool, which have experienced big falls in landings.”
Overall, there was a big 19 per cent fall in the value of fish landings in Scotland to just under £51 million, compared with November 2023, and a 18 per cent fall in tonnage to 32,967.
Those falls were similar with the UK totals, which were 19 per cent declines in value and a 20 per cent drop in tonnage.
Scotland accounted for 72 per cent of the UK value and 78 per cent of the tonnage of fish landed.
Only two of the nine Scottish ports/districts recorded increases in value and 7 decreases. The value increases were in Kinlochbervie (25 per cent) and Peterhead (one per cent).
The biggest declines were in Cullivoe (-74 per cent), Ullapool (-63 per cent) and Scalloway (-52 per cent). The only tonnage increase was in Kinlochbervie (+22 per cent).
Peterhead is by far the busiest fishing port in the UK, accounting for a massive 62 per cent of the total Scottish value and 45 per cent of the total UK value in November.
The tonnage shares were 67 per cent of the Scottish total and 52 per cent of the UK. The port had a one per cent increase in the value but a five per cent fall in the tonnage.
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