Fish Landings from the ‘Shetland EEZ’

An analysis has been carried out using available data to provide estimates of the quantity and value of fish and shellfish caught in the waters around Shetland. The analysis has focussed on the area of the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) adjacent to Shetland, informally dubbed the ‘Shetland EEZ’.
It is estimated that an average of almost 450,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish, worth some £370 million, were landed annually from the ‘Shetland EEZ’ by UK and EU boats between 2016 and 2018. These figures certainly underestimate the true weight and value of landings from this area as they do not include landings by Norwegian and Faroese fishing boats.
The fish and shellfish landed from the ‘Shetland EEZ’ represents a relatively large proportion of the landings from the UK EEZ: While the ‘Shetland EEZ’ accounts for 17% of the area of the UK EEZ it accounts for one-third of all the landings. For demersal and pelagic fish, the proportions are even higher (37% and 40% respectively).