SCOTLAND – Seafood Scotland, the organization responsible for promoting Scottish seafood, has solidified its cultural relationship with Japan in anticipation of a significant international event. 

This comes as a delegation from Scotland prepares to participate in Japan’s international seafood expo later this month.

In a formal ceremony, the Consul General of Japan in Edinburgh, Tadashi Fujiwara, inaugurated Seafood Scotland’s new office located in Ingliston, just outside Edinburgh. 

The event featured a selection of sushi made from Scottish seafood, which highlighted the rising demand for Scottish mackerel. 

This surge in popularity is expected to boost export opportunities for various Scottish seafood products.

As the expo in Tokyo approaches, Seafood Scotland is finalizing arrangements to co-host eight Scottish seafood companies at the Japan International Seafood & Technology Expo, scheduled to take place from August 21 to 23, 2024.

In 2023, the Scottish sea-fisheries sector navigated a year marked by both gains and setbacks, as revealed by the latest provisional statistics.

The year saw Scottish-registered fishing vessels land 487,000 tonnes of sea fish and shellfish, a 15% increase in volume compared to the previous year.

However, despite this rise in tonnage, the overall value of the landings saw a slight decline of 1% in real terms, totaling £655 million.

The pelagic sector, particularly mackerel fishing, emerged as a bright spot for the industry.

Mackerel landings rose by 18% in volume and 4% in value, cementing its status as the most lucrative catch for Scottish fishers.

With 190,000 tonnes of mackerel brought ashore—10% more than in 2022—the species accounted for 37% of the total value of all Scottish landings, amounting to £245 million.

Notably, just over half of the mackerel was landed within Scotland, with the remainder processed abroad.

In contrast, the demersal sector experienced a mixed year.

While key species like haddock and cod recorded substantial gains—haddock landings grew by 25% in tonnage and 5% in value, reaching £38 million, and cod saw a 49% increase in tonnage and a 26% rise in value, totaling £35 million—monkfish did not fare as well.

Monkfish landings dropped by 10% in tonnage and saw a corresponding 16% decrease in value, generating £32 million.

The shellfish sector faced more pronounced challenges, with both tonnage and value declining.

Nephrops, the mainstay of this sector, witnessed a 4% reduction in landings and an 11% drop in value, contributing to an overall 3% decrease in shellfish tonnage and an 8% decline in its market value compared to 2022.

The Scottish fishing fleet also saw a reduction in capacity, with the number of active vessels falling to 2,014, down by 24 from the previous year. Employment in the sector mirrored this trend, with the total workforce shrinking by 8% to 3,793 fishers.

Regular employment saw a 4% dip, while irregular employment experienced a steep 24% decline.

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