The UK’s fishing fleet has once again netted over £1 billion in income, marking the third consecutive year of crossing the milestone, according to Seafish’s latest Economics of the UK Fishing Fleet report. The fishing industry brought in about £1.15 billion in 2024, with revenue increasing to £1.2 billion and operating profits predicted to rise by 26% to £337 million.
During the year 2024, the fleet landed 716,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish, a 15% increase over 2023. This rise was mostly due to increased catches of pelagic species like mackerel, which was the most landed species in the UK at 226,000 tonnes. With 3,785 active boats supporting 7,263 full-time equivalent jobs, employment stayed stable. However, Seafish cautions that the fortunes of various fleet segments are unequal despite the country’s expansion.
“Trends in fleet performance in 2024 were mixed and varied substantially according to the costs and earnings structures of each fleet segment,” explained Dr Dana Wright, Seafish Senior Economist. He said that while pelagic fleets thrived on higher landings and lower fuel costs, others like Nephrops fleets saw declines in income and profitability. Just a quarter reported their performance to be excellent or above average
Region-Wise Highlights
England: Compared to 2023, the fleet size decreased by 4% in 2024. With an average annual growth rate of 16% since 2022, gross value added (GVA) is projected to reach £145 million in 2024.
Scotland: In 2024, the number of operational fishing vessels in the Scottish fleet decreased by about 4% to 1521, and fishing effort also decreased similarly to that of the English fleet.GVA has increased by 19% to £446.9 million. With 3,601 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs supported by the fleet, employment is stable. In 2024, the average fishing effort per vessel was 86 days at sea.
Wales: With 90% of all operating vessels being under 10 meters, the Welsh fleet is dominated by this category. It is also anticipated that the Welsh fleet’s GVA will drop by 7% to £6.5 million in 2024. Full-time equivalent positions in the under-10m group have grown by 50% from 38 in 2023 to 57 in 2024.
Northern Ireland: As fishing activity decreased, the average income for all three Northern Irish fleet segments decreased as well. Many operators were forced to fish outside the 12-nautical-mile zone due to the high expense of the Skilled Worker Visa (SWV) requirements. Although the region’s total activity and profitability declined, it did record £72.6 million in revenue and £23.5 million in profit.
Even though the industry sustains around 38,000 operating vessels and more than 7200 jobs, structural and employment pressure is barely present. But there are disparities that are caused by problems, including varying fuel prices, crew visa fees, and shifting fish stock productivity.
Seafish emphasised that it still plays a part in assisting the seafood industry in overcoming these obstacles. “We tackle everything from research to training to keep fishermen safe, support sustainable sourcing, and boost efficiency, ” the organisation stated.
