View from the bridge of the Antares with mackerel on the fish finders. Photo: SPFA/catchpr

Scottish Mackerel Fishery Sees Strong Autumn Abundance

Excellent Catches Reported from Shetland Waters Despite Looming Quota Cuts

The close of the year for the Scottish mackerel fishery is proving fruitful, with fishing vessels reporting a high abundance of fish spread across a large area, spanning from north-east to south-west of Shetland and beyond.

Dr Steven Mackinson and Iohara Amador and in the background, the Antares

This success was observed first-hand when Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (SPFA) Chief Scientific Officer Dr Steven Mackinson and UHI Shetland student Iohara Amador joined the fishing vessel Antares (LK 419). They sailed approximately 50 miles west of Shetland to monitor the catches and support scientific sampling. On this trip, the Antares encountered some of the largest mackerel shoals seen in many years, leading to a quick and successful haul. The rapid return trip to Lerwick took less than 12 hours, ensuring the landed fish were of premium quality.

Other Scottish and Dutch boats operating in the same area also reported excellent catches, noting that the fish covered a diverse age range.

Ian Gatt, Chief Executive of the SPFA, commented on the encouraging situation: “Despite the grim scientific advice calling for a 70% cut in quota for next year, it is encouraging to get first hand reports from the fishing boats that mackerel appears to be relatively abundant this autumn, which is all information that will hopefully get fed into the final decision-making process.”

Furthermore, Scottish skippers have noted the presence of many large shoals of herring on their electronic gear while transiting to and from the mackerel grounds. This is a positive indicator that the herring stock is robust, suggesting a good outlook for that fishery in the future.

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