Commenting on the provisional statistics published 16 April by Scotland’s Chief Statistician that the overall quayside value of sea fish and shellfish landed by Scottish vessels in 2013 decreased by eight per cent compared with 2012, yet the volume of seafood landed remained stable having increased by only a marginal amount, Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said: “This alarming drop in the quayside value of seafood landed underlines the tremendous pressures faced by our fishing fleet,” he said.
“Scottish seafood is renowned around the world for its high quality, provenance and sustainability, yet despite signs of global economic recovery, it would seem that the market for our fish and shellfish is showing little sign of improving. This is causing a double whammy of hardship for our fishermen as the poor market situation is set against the background of ever-increasing operational costs for the fishing fleet.”
