UK: Inshore sector a keys strength of Shetland fleet

Inshore sector a key strength of Shetland fleet. A key strength of the Shetland fishing industry is the broad mix of boats working different fisheries – and no more so than the vitally important inshore fleet. The inshore component comprises around 200 full and part-time vessels, working work for both fish and shellfish. About half these vessels are licence holders in the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation, catching lobster, crab and scallops. Sheila Keith, executive officer of the Shetland Fishermen’s Association, told Fish Focus: “The small-scale inshore sector provides a vital role in supporting local communities, and neatly complements the offshore whitefish and pelagic fisheries carried out by larger vessels. “There is plenty of haddock and cod on the inshore grounds at the moment, which is great news for this sector,” she says. This is borne out by an independent survey of commercial fish species 2023 carried out by UHI Shetland. The annual Shetland Inshore Fish ...