CATCHING

Catching Pelagic Fish in Scottish Waters

The Scottish pelagic (mackerel, herring, blue whiting) industry is Scotland’s single most valuable fisheries sector in terms of volume and value. The Scottish pelagic fleet today consists of 21 modern, state-of-the art vessels, typically operated by families with a fishing lineage of several generations.

Scottish pelagic fishermen are committed to sustainability, which is exhibited in many ways, including engaging in pioneering science initiatives to sample and assess stocks to provide data and information that aids sensible and pragmatic fisheries management. For environmentally conscious consumers, this is great news, for it means they can eat Scottish caught pelagic fish in confidence, safe in the knowledge that it is harvested by fishermen who care about the future.

Scotland’s pelagic fishermen are rightfully proud of the low carbon footprint, climate-smart food they put on our plates. Adopting latest vessel designs and catching technologies means the Scottish fleet is already making important contributions to achieving targets for Net Zero carbon emissions.