For Scottish fleet mackerel season has a good start with fine quality and plenty of raw material. The domestic prices is said to be averaging out at between £800-£1000 a tonne. These are behind reported Norwegian levels of around £1200 which are said to be causing concern to Scottish processors. It is told that the Krossfjord and the Kings Cross have provided Fraserburgh’s direct landings revival.
This has benefited all the Scottish pelagic ports, with heavy trade at Peterhead and steady business at Lerwick. Derek Duthie, the chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, said that there has been a good start to the year and boats did not take long to get in among good fish. He told that at Fraserburgh this week, the opening of the year got off to a better than expected start. There was good results in white fish and nephrops fronts with again, small round fish posing more of a marketing problem towards the end of the week.
According to the association the nephrops position on the West Coast has been not satisfactory, with the price of tails coming back to around £3.20-£3.30 a kilo mark and 50p a kilo expected to come off live next week. Industry spokesman informed that the nephrops market is effectively still in the doldrums.
