Catches worth £257m see Peterhead break annual record for fish landings

Peterhead has broken its annual record for fish landings, with catches worth £257 million traded by the end of November.

The port authority said this cemented the Aberdeenshire town’s reputation as the largest fisheries port in Europe, surpassing the total of £232 million for all of 2023.

Pelagic catches reached 159,229 tonnes, up from 131,534 tonnes the previous year.

Peter Duncan, head of commercial fishing at Peterhead Port Authority, said: “It has certainly been a huge year for landings, with a further increase in pelagic landings due to the economic link and a more modest increase in whitefish landings.

“The port provides first-class facilities and infrastructure for both the landing and selling of fish, and we place a premium on quality.

“But we will not be resting on our laurels – we strive constantly to improve our contribution to the seafood supply chain.”

The port authority has invested £50 million in recent years on improving harbour facilities and Peterhead’s fish market.

Next year, the traditional “shout auction” at the market will be replaced with an electronic system.

In October, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation warned the growth of floating offshore wind farms in Scottish waters could “decimate or destroy” the fishing sector.

Separately, the Scottish Government released a report on its Marine Protected Area (MPA) network on Thursday.

It said 17 new MPAs have been designated since 2018, though campaigners said progress has stalled on implementing management measures.

Director of Open Seas Phil Taylor said: “More than half of the sites are either not ‘moving toward’ or only partially ‘moving toward’ meeting their legal requirements.

“Scottish ministers are just treading water, while the health of our seas declines.

“In 2020, Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon said this would be resolved in the following year, and in June 2023 the Cabinet Secretary said progress would be made by the end of 2024. Coastal communities and the wider public deserve better.

“Nearly three-quarters of Scotland’s Marine Protected Areas are still lacking the management needed to recover the health of marine biodiversity.”