Whiteford & Allard Welcome Record Fish Landings

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford and North East MSP Christian Allard have welcomed news of record fish landings in Scotland.

The value of fish landed in Scotland increased by 19% to £513m in 2014, according to figures released by the Scottish Government today. The volume of landings has also increased over the last year by 31% to 480,400 tonnes.

Mackerel continues to be the most valuable stock, accounting for £195 million of Scottish landings.

Commenting on the latest Scottish fish landing statistics, Eilidh Whiteford said:

“The fishing industry remains a critical employer in Banff & Buchan and despite all the challenges of the last year, these figures indicate that the Scottish industry is resilient and has a profitable and prosperous future ahead of it.

“Going forward, I am confident that the Scottish Government will continue to press for the best deal for our fishing industry, and do all that it can to promote Scotland’s quality produce to international markets.”

Christian Allard, MSP for North-east Scotland, added:

“As someone who has worked in the fishing for well over 30 years, it is great to see an increase in the value and volume of fish landings in Scotland.

“The amount of fish being caught is definitely back in both size and quantity. It is important that local people are given the option of Scottish fish before imports.

“Recently, I praised supermarket Aldi’s decision to promote Scottish fish in their stores. I hope to see more of this throughout our food retail outlets, as it is clear there is scope for growth in local seafood retail to coincide with the growth in local fish landings.”