Scottish seas support some of the richest and most varied marine wildlife in the world. The coastline represents 8% of the EU’s total and Peterhead houses the largest fish market in Europe. Yet in ten years the Scottish fleet has shrunk to a fraction of its former size, largely as a result of a move to more sustainable fishing. Coupled with this commitment to conservation is a drive for higher quality fish. Seafood Scotland aims to market, promote and develop responsibly caught Scottish seafood.
London’s Billingsgate Fish Market
This London institution has its origins way back in 1327 as a result of a Royal charter from King Edward III. It takes its name from the riverside wharf on the Thames where it first started. When it transferred inside in the 19th century it was the biggest fish market in the world. Traffic congestion in the City necessitated a move to its present location, near Canary Wharf, in 1982.
It’s 6.30 am on a cold January morning, and the market is winding down. It’s been open since a bell was rung at 5 am to start business. Even so the variety and amount of fish on sale is staggering. Nowadays fish comes here from over 80 countries, but 60% is still trucked in from ports across the UK. No product is more important than that from Scotland which lands over 400 thousand tonnes a year. The Mackerel here is so fresh it’s still suffering from rigor-mortis.
The Scottish Fishing Industry
The Scottish fleet consists of over 2000 boats and employs around four and a half thousand fishermen. Although 60 different species are fished, 80% of the value of their catch is down to just 8:
- Langoustine
- Mackerel
- Haddock
- Monkfish
- Scallops
- Cod
- Lobster
- Brown Crab
The fleet splits into three types of vessels depending on the type of fish they're after. The most valuable shellfish species is Langoustine, caught off the East and West coasts in small boats, with a huge export market to France and Spain. Haddock, Monkfish and Cod are the principal whitefish and they're caught from medium boats. Mackerel and Herring are fished by huge vessels with an average length of over 60m which only put to sea for a few months of the year.
John Buchan, Ocean Venture Skipper
John Buchan is captain of the Ocean Venture II, a 30m vessel sailing from Peterhead, catching whitefish, mainly Cod, Haddock, Whiting and Coley. He spends around 270 days a year at sea and is conscious of the role of fishermen in managing their environment. He says that he and his colleagues have vastly improved they way they handle their catch in recent years and is proud to be associated with a quality product. More importantly he’s clear that the old practice of “Black Fishing”, bending or breaking the rules, has completely died out. No longer are native fishermen under threat from their foreign counterparts.
He’s also playing his part in cleaning up the seas. 70% of marine debris sinks to the seabed and can only be collected by fishing vessels. The “Fish for Litter” scheme was launched in 2005 and has active participation from over 150 boats. John Buchan says that on his last trip his haul included metal baskets, an oil drum and assorted ropes.
Real Brits Don’t Eat Fish
British people have a love-hate relationship with fish. Of course the national dish is fish and chips but anything with bones is hardly touched. It’s been the same since Tudor times. The situation was so bad then that, to keep fishermen in business and preserve meat stocks, a law was passed forcing people to eat fish every Friday. Nowadays much of the hard work in Scotland seems to be going elsewhere. The majority of Langoustine are immediately exported abroad and many independent fishmongers have long since gone out of business. Despite being one of Europe's primary fishing nations, Scotland consumes much less fish than other countries. Consumers in Spain, Portugal and Norway eat twice as much fish as Scots. Judging by the quality of fish on display at Billingsgate, they don’t know what they’re missing.
Rupert Parker - Rupert Parker is journalist, photographer, cameraman and TV Producer. He specializes in factual programming and has worked for the BBC, ...
Join the Conversation