The Scottish pelagic fleet’s mackerel fishery that opened the year was successfully completed by the second week in February, with the last fish caught on grounds to the west of the Butt of Lewis.
A notable feature of this year’s fishery has been the length of time the big shoals of mackerel have been present in Scottish waters – a five-month period stretching from October to February.
This is a trend that could well continue, according to the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, which says fishery managers need to recognise this when allocating catch shares.
The Atlanto-Scandian herring fishery for Scottish vessels began this week, with the fleet on grounds south of the Lofoten Islands. This is a short fishery, given that the UK has a relatively small quota of only around 10,000 tonnes.
Next week, the blue whiting fishery will commence for the Scottish fleet, with the fleet heading to grounds to the west of Ireland. There has been a large increase in quota this year, so this fishery could extenmd into early April.
