Uist catching sector’s £3m contribution
Over the summer, fishing vessel owners and skippers from across the country will be taking part in the annual survey of the UK fishing fleet.
The Uist survey makes up one small but very important part of a UK wide research operation that covers every UK port from Lerwick to Falmouth.
Key findings from each year’s survey are published by Seafish, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry. The reports provide a fascinating overview of the UK fleet, detailing not only the facts and figures that make up the sector, but the personal perspectives of the 6,800 men and women who make their living from it.
The last survey concluded that there were 4,269 active fishing vessels registered in the UK, around 64% of which were under 10 meters in length, providing work for around 6,835 people.
The same survey reports around 631,000 tonnes of landed fish and shellfish, giving the UK fishing fleet an annual turnover of £923 million and generating an operating profit of £240 million.
By value, the top species landed by the UK fleet, both at home and abroad, were Mackerel (£223m), Norway Lobster (£92m), Crab (£63m), Monkfish (£56m) and Scallops (£52m).
Scotland reported 1,713 active vessels, making up around 47% of the value of the UK catch.
Across North Uist, Grimsay, South Uist and Eriskay, 39 registered vessels landed almost 700 tonnes of catch, generating an income of around £3m and providing around 30 jobs. Lewis and Harris generated a further £3m of income through Stornoway, with Barra earning £2.3m between Castlebay and Northbay.
The survey reported mixed feelings across UK vessel owners, with 36% rating their business performance over the previous 12 months as poor or below average, 31% as average and 31% rating it above average or excellent.
Looking ahead, 29% of vessel owners rated the outlook for the next 3-5 years as bad or very bad compared to 35% who rated it good or very good.
In Uist, researchers reported the main areas of focus for skippers was the cost of doing business, the threat of restrictive fishing policy, the difficulty of finding crew and, of course, the weather, which severely restricted the number of days at sea.
The sharp rise in the cost of fuel was a cause of great worry to every part of our local fleet.
There was unanimous agreement regarding the threat posed by Marine Protected Areas and Highly Protected Marine Areas. The researchers said many skippers were fearful that restrictions would decimate their business: ‘here in the islands, where fishing was much more than just a job, they felt a wider threat to traditional and cultural heritage.’
On the question of environmental protection, the researchers said that most of the Uist fishermen they spoke to believed that, with proper management and collaboration, a place could be found for both conservation and fishing.
One of the Uist researchers reported: “The level of proactivity when collaborating to share evidence, data, knowledge and expertise is overwhelming. It’s a clear proof of the commitment of the local fleet to do everything in their power to help not only the industry, but policy makers and other stakeholders involved.”
Difficulties recruiting crew was also a common theme, particularly with larger boats which rely directly on foreign labour: ‘with the current restrictions from the relevant administrations, it’s very difficult to crew up many of the boats.’
Many of the fishermen described last year’s weather as the worst in years, which together with increasing restrictions, lower market prices and very high fuel costs, made simply trying to cover operational costs a challenge.
Juan Carlos Paredes Esclapez, Economics Project Manager at Seafish and one of the researchers carrying out survey work in Uist last year, emphasised the importance of the survey work:
“The UK Fishing Fleet Survey plays a crucial role in tracking the performance of our fishing industry. By participating in this survey, vessel owners and skippers have the chance to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
“The data collected will be invaluable in informing policymakers, industry stakeholders and businesses themselves, ensuring the sector is well-equipped to navigate future challenges.”
“When we were in Uist last year, the local fishermen were incredibly supportive of our survey work, sparing us time they probably didn’t have to speak with us and share their insights in terms of financials, employment, fuel consumption and gear.”
Juan Carlos is hoping a flexible approach will encourage local skippers to participate again this year:
“We aim to visit all the harbours and meet with as many fishermen as possible, even if it’s over a tea or coffee instead of in the harbour. At the end of the day, everyone’s opinions and views matter so we try to be as flexible as we can and adapt our field work to their schedules.
“The Hebridean fleet has a good track record of fisheries management, respecting seasonal closures and pot limitations, for example.”
This year’s Uist survey work will be undertaken by researchers Sheriene Murphy and Rebecca Spain (pictured), who will be in Uist for a week from 12th August.
A Seafish spokesperson said: “The survey takes no longer than 15 minutes to complete and all responses are strictly confidential, with no details from any individual vessel revealed.
“Fishing businesses taking part in the survey can also request a free benchmark report. This is a valuable tool for comparing the economic performance of their vessel to similar ones in the industry, allowing them to identify areas for potential improvement. These reports can also be used as evidence in grant or loan applications.”
More information about this year’s survey work and the data from pervious survey reports is available to view on the Seafish website www.seafish.org.
