Mixed picture for Peterhead landings

Aslump in whitefish landings at Peterhead this year has been largely offset by a big rebound in the amount of shellfish coming into the north-east port.

New figures released by bosses at Europe’s largest white fish harbour show overall landings broadly in line with those for 2020.

But the headline figures conceal a range of different trends.

By the end of October, £156 million worth of fish and shellfish – a total of 137,229 tonnes – had been landed or consigned to the port. This is compared with landings worth £160m, weighing in at 142,542t, for the same 10-month period in 2020.

White fish landings in the latest period were down substantially by value at £71m. This was against £83m a year ago as tonnage dropped to 36,668t, compared to 46,541t previously, as a result of steep cuts in quota.

Even so, the latest whitefish figures were not as bad as some in the industry had feared.

By contrast, the value and volume of this year’s shellfish landings were more than double those of January to October 2020.

A total of 8,521t worth £16m was landed during the first 10 months of 2021, up from 4,029t valued at £7m previously.

The total value of shellfish landed for the whole of 2020 was just shy of £9m. Last year’s shellfish figures were heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which closed off markets.

On the pelagic side, £52m worth of mackerel had been landed by October 31 2021, compared with £56m a year earlier, although this was down to a slow start to the fishery last month.

Herring landed on the quayside was worth almost £13m this year, ahead of the equivalent for 2020 of less than £12m. By volume, herring landings fell to 21,680t from 25,203t.

Peterhead Port Authority (PPA) chief financial officer

Stephen Paterson said: “It has been a particularly challenging year for the white fish fleet, following a far from optimal Brexit settlement and quota cuts.

“With negotiations on next year’s quotas under way, that situation for 2022 is still unclear.

“Some species will be subject to further cuts, but this may be offset by improved opportunities for international quota swaps.”

He added: “Shellfish landings for 2021 have been particularly strong marking a rebound from the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when the sector was effectively closed down due to the closure of overseas markets and domestic outlets.

“The mackerel season in October was slow to get going, but the figures for November will drive up the value and tonnage for the year.”

Mr Paterson said the port, with its British Retail Consortium AA rating for the fish market, plus Marine Stewardship

Council and Responsible Fishing Ports status, had lots of advantages in its favour going into 2022.

Meanwhile, work to protect Peterhead’s fish market from the sea has been completed.

The six-month, £5.5m project was carried out by main contractor McLaughlin & Harvey, with RPS as consultant.

It involved refurbishing and reinstating a 508ft section of the revetment along Alexandra Parade to a height of 33ft.

More than 25,000t of rock was used to bolster defences against “overtopping”, where the sea breaches structures put in place to stop erosion.

PPA chief executive Simon Brebner said: “The new fish market is a major asset whose infrastructure and operations we wished to protect from overtopping in stormy weather.

“The contractors have done an excellent job on the works within the agreed timeframe in a difficult and exposed location.”

CATCHES: White fish landings have gone down at Peterhead, while levels of shellfish have rebounded significantly.