Peterhead Harbour Scotland’s premier fishing port established a new record in 2010 for the fifth year. The port made landings worth over £148 Million to further strengthen its position as the top fishing port in Europe.
Figures which were released this week by the Peterhead Port authority showed the total value of catches which were landed in 2010 were £20 million more than in 2009 total of £128.9 million an increase of 15%. The tonnage also increased to reach 170.169 tonne compared with 154.448 Tonne in 2009.
Since the new Peterhead Port Authority was formed in 2006, the town as set successive port value record of £108 million, £114 Million and £128 million and £129 million, which is now up by last year’s total of £148 million.
The norm of white fish landings values are a head of pelagic values was reversed for the first time in 2009, but white fish went ahead again last year at £70.8 million exceeding the pelagic value of £66.8 million.
Bigger prices for all three categories of landings was the most important factor in for Peterhead harbour’s performance.
With healthy levels of pelagic landings from Foreign trawlers, from Denmark and Norway and Scottish vessels made a great contribution.
The extent to which higher prices have contributed to the new port record is now reflected in the combined value of whitefish catches in 2010.
Shell fish catches have also been good in Peterhed great performance last year. At 6,475 tonne they rose 53% from a total of 4,222 tonne in 2009 while their value went from £7.7 million to £10.4 million an increase of 35%.
The Pelagic landings for 2010 were worth £66.9 million, and Mackerel saw the largest gain in value increasing by £6.4millioon to £53.8 million as over 9000tonne more were landed.
The value of herring and whiting landed last year was lower at £13 million compared to £13.3 million the previous.
The Chief executive of Peterhesad Port Authority John Wallace thanked all the Peterhead port staff, Fishermen and processors for achieving these quite remarkable figures.
