Seafood catch volumes

According to the ONS and MMO, in their co-commissioned UK Sea Fisheries Statistics report, for 2021, the UK fishing industry comprised 5,783 fishing vessels. Meanwhile, there were an estimated 11,000 fishermen aboard UK vessels in 2021, a reduction of 1,700 fishers.

Of the landings in the United Kingdom by UK vessels, 28% were landed in England, 1.7% in Wales, 66.4% in Scotland, 4.1% in Northern Ireland, and 1.2% in the Islands (i.e. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man). Irrespective of whether landed in the United Kingdom or abroad, some 50% was of pelagic variety (e.g. mackerel, herring), with demersal type fish (e.g. cod, haddock, plaice) accounting for 26.4% and shellfish (e.g. crabs, scallops, nephrons) occupying the balance (23.6%) in 2019. The MMO and ONS also reported that 42.8% of the quantity of fish landed by UK vessels in 2019 was caught in the Northern North Sea area, followed by the West of Scotland sea area (17.5%) and the English Channel (9.7%).

Over the five-year period through 2022, the quantity of seafood caught and landed by UK vessels in the United Kingdom and abroad is forecast to decrease at a compound annual rate of 1.3%, falling to 634.2 thousand tonnes. In 2022, seafood catches are expected to grow by 5.1%. Collectively, pelagic, demersal and shellfish catch volumes are notoriously volatile due to several impetuses.

Reductions in mackerel quota in 2015 and 2016 drove lower mackerel catch volumes which, in turn, were the predominant cause of 6.5% and 1.1% declines in overall catch volumes in 2015 and 2016 respectively. In 2016, however, any exponential decline in overall catch volume was counterbalanced by an increase in cod and haddock landings on the back of quota uplifts. In 2017, the UK government secured several CFP quota increases, including one of 16.5% for North Sea cod, and one of 25% for Irish Sea haddock. Conversely, however, sea bass quotas were reduced by 80% in the same year which dampened would-be significant growth in overall catch volumes by UK vessels. Overall, in 2017, seafood catch volumes expanded by 3.7%.

In 2018, seafood catch volumes fell by 3.7%. Catch volumes were limited by reduced fishing opportunities by way of CFP quotas, decommissioning exercises, fishing effort limits and other provisions of stock management plans. In 2019, seafood catch volumes declined by a significant 11.2%. While the European Council opted to increase or keep then-current total allowable catch (TAC) limits for 62 main commercial fish stocks for 2019, 22 stock quotas were reduced, including varieties commonly sought by UK vessels such as cod in the West of Scotland, plaice in the southern Celtic Sea, and mackerel in various EU waters. Consequently, reductions in the UK's fishing fleet has supressed the catch volume of UK vessels.

In 2020, seafood catch volumes fell by 2%, as a result of the many complications which have arisen amid the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. The coronavirus pandemic led to a fall in seafood catch volumes due to a contraction in overseas demand for UK-caught seafood, which subsequently makes up a huge amount of the market. Furthermore, restaurants and open markets were forced to close throughout the UK and UK seafood importing nations such as China, France and Spain which also would facilitate a fall in demand. Amid the declining demand for seafood due to the pandemic the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO) have reported that in 2020, individual fishing business and producer organisations have taken actions to mitigate negative affects by arranging shorter trips, staggering and planning landings, reducing quantities landed Fishing organisations have done this in order to avoid flooding the market and triggering a price collapse. In 2021, catch volumes fell due to harsher weather conditions and more households opting for cheaper alternatives. Seafood catch volumes are set to increase in 2022 due to less stringent regulations as the UK is no longer a member of the European Union. Higher prices have also incentivised fishers to increase the number of trips in 2023, raising catch volumes.