The report includes detailed figures on the UK fishing fleet, the number of fishermen, the quantity and value of landings, international trade and the state of key fishing stocks. The publication has been fully refreshed this year and now includes many new data sets.
The report reveals that during 2010 the UK fleet landed 606,000 tonnes of sea fish (including shellfish) into the UK and abroad with a value of 719 million.
Compared with 2009, this represents a four per cent increase in quantity and a seven per cent increase in value.
In 2010:
- The UK fishing fleet remained the sixth largest in the EU in terms of vessel numbers, with the second largest capacity and fourth largest power. 6,477 fishing vessels were registered with a total capacity of 207,000 GT and total power of 827,000 kW.
- Around 12,700 fishermen were reported as active in the UK; of these, 2,500 were part-time. The number of days spent at sea by over 10 metre vessels has fallen by 37 per cent since 2001.
- Scottish vessels accounted for 61 per cent of the weight of landings by UK vessels, while English vessels accounted for 30 per cent. Peterhead remains the port with highest landings, up nine per cent from 2009 levels to 122,000 tonnes.
- Landings of cod by the UK fleet increased to 26,000 tonnes. Overall, the UK fleet landed 169,000 tonnes of demersal species, five per cent higher than in 2009.
- Over a quarter of all fish landed by UK vessels was mackerel. In total, 286,000 tonnes of pelagic species were landed by the UK fleet, unchanged from 2009.
- Scallops landings by the UK fleet were 20,000 tonnes higher than in 2006, an 80 per cent increase. Total shellfish landings by UK vessels rose to 152,000 tonnes.
- First sale prices of fish rose by an average of 7.4 per cent on 2009 levels.
- Imports of fish fell to 703 thousand tonnes, a two per cent decrease from 2009. Over the same period, exports increased by eight per cent to 516 thousand tonnes. Imports were highest for cod, tuna and shrimps and prawns. The UKs main exports were mackerel, salmon and herring.
- World figures for 2009 showed that China remained the largest producer of fish, landing 12.9 million tonnes of fish.
The full report, and more detailed supplementary tables, can be seen at http://www.marinemanagement.org.uk/fisheries/statistics/annual.htm
