Scotland’s fishing industry delivered a record catch to ports around the country during 2014, official new figures show.
Last year’s haul was worth a best ever total of £513million, or a 19% increase on the previous year, while the volume of landings was up by 31% at 480,400 tonnes.
Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “The fishing industry is very important to Scotland’s economy and contributes over £500million in revenues a year.
“It is encouraging to see that the value of the Scottish catch is at a record high and the volume of fish landed has increased by over 30%.
“Mackerel was once again our most valuable stock, accounting for over a third of the overall total in landings, underlining how important this stock is to Scotland.
“The value of white-fish landings – led by cod, haddock and monkfish – now accounts for £143million to the industry, despite a decrease in the volume of landings.”
He added: “These figures bring confidence for the future and I’m hopeful that we can see revenues grow further, adding to fishermen’s bottom line and creating further good quality jobs.
“However we know there is more to do, which is why the Scottish Government will continue to promote Scotland’s priorities on the international stage and work hard to get the best deal possible for our fishermen and the fishing community.”