Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotland

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Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04  Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON

From Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2024 published yesterday:

The Scottish fishing industry value in 2024 was £734 million. This is the highest value (adjusted to 2024 prices) of the last ten years. Scottish fishing vessels landed 532 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish, the greatest tonnage of the last ten years. A summary of the headline numbers are:

Scottish vessels landed 532 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish in 2024. An increase of eight per cent compared to 2023 and an increase of 33 per cent compared to 2020.

Scottish vessels landed £734 million of sea fish and shellfish in 2024. Adjusted to 2024 prices, this is an increase of three per cent compared to 2023, and of 27 percent compared to 2020.

Scottish vessels landed 191 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish worth £189 million abroad in 2024. Landings abroad make up 36 per cent of tonnage and 26 per cent by value.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-sea-fisheries-statistics-2024/

The last point is concerning in that it creates dependency on other countries’ infrastructure and acceptance of lower landing prices.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-sea-fisheries-statistics-2024

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-sea-fisheries-statistics-2024/pages/2-landings-by-scottish-vessels

Could an independent Scotland do something about this?

What an independent Scotland could do:

• Pursue policies to shift more pelagic catch toward higher-value markets, such as investing in onshore processing upgrades (e.g., filleting, smoking, or ready-meal production) to capture added value domestically rather than exporting raw bulk.
• Use fiscal levers (e.g., subsidies, tax incentives, or grants) to encourage fleet investments in value-adding tech or direct-to-market sales.
• Negotiate better trade terms or access to premium markets independently (e.g., tariff-free deals with the EU, Asia, or US for processed pelagic products).
• Adjust licensing conditions to incentivize landing higher-value portions or species mixes domestically.

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotland

Click on the above.

Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04  Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSONPlease Support Talking-up Scotland at:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotland

Click on the above.

Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04  Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON