Ullapool fish landing slump statistics veil ‘complex picture’
FIGURES revealing a slump in fish landings at a Wester Ross port have been described as “very disappointing” by a Highland economist.
The total value of landings in Scotland in 2024 was 1% lower at £510m but the tonnage was 6% higher at 340,000.
In marked contrast, the value of fish landings in Ullapool was 30% lower at £15.6 million and the tonnage 29% lower at 6146.
Those falls were the second worst of the Scottish ports/harbours, after Cullivoe (40% drop in value). Scrabster in Caithness also witnessed a big drop (24 per cent) while there was a big increase at Kinlochbervie in Sutherland (21 per cent).
Highland economist Tony Mackay noted there had only been an increase in value at three Scottish ports - Kinlochbervie, Lerwick and Peterhead. He said Peterhead continues to dominate both the value and tonnage, accounting for 47% and 59% respectively of the Scottish totals.
Contacted for comment, Kevin Peach, Ullapool Harbourmaster, said: “Fishing is a complex business with innumerable factors impacting on a harbour’s landings such as economics, fuel prices, quota restrictions, weather, vessels changing ownership, Brexit…the list goes on.
“Unlike many Scottish whitefish harbours, Ullapool does not have a resident fleet and has always depended on migrant vessels heading west (mainly from Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Shetland) for seasonal fishing opportunities such as haddock, squid and winter monkfish.
“Rockall haddock has a limited market for the smaller selections controlled until now by a single buyer and when they stop purchasing the vessels are forced to target alternative fisheries.
“Quotas are set regionally and when vessels find themselves catching low quota species such as cod they are forced to move geographically to an alternative fishery. The price of fuel varies day to day and given the logistics of transporting fuel to Ullapool fuel is always more expensive west which can impact on a vessels choice of harbour. In recent times owners/skippers have become further disillusioned with the industry to the extent they have sold out.”
He said post-Brexit export legislation has stymied the Anglo fleet with no new investment and vessels retiring as they grow old and expensive to maintain. He said all of these factors contribute to the 2024 statistics for all ports, and not just Ullapool, “a complex picture much more so than a few numbers in a table”.
He said: “Interesting that there is a 0% change in tonnage for Scotland which would suggest the same fleet landing the same volume of fish albeit in different locations to that of 2023. Scientific advice for 2025 is encouraging with significant uplifts in both the Rockall haddock and west coast monkfish quotas so here’s hoping the advice is correct and the numbers man has a different story to tell in 12 months.”
