Annual fleet survey now under way

Seafish researchers are calling on vessel owners and skippers in Dumfries and Galloway to have their say on the state of the fishing industry in its 13th annual economic survey of the UK fishing fleet.

Owners and skippers are being urged to take part in this years annual fleet survey.

This year’s survey is gathering data on fishing and vessel costs to provide a comprehensive overview of the financial and operational performance of the fishing industry.

With the UK preparing to exit the European Union, it is vital fishers provide accurate data to paint a clear picture of the performance of the industry for policy makers.

Last year was a mixed one for the fleet, with operating profit seeing a four per cent decrease, but total fishing income rising by £38 million to reach £984 million. Many skippers raised the uncertain political and trade landscape, the availability of fish, oil and fuel price and quota as some of their main concerns.

The findings from this years’ survey, to be published in 2019, will be crucial for uncovering the direction the industry is moving in and give a clear insight on how fishers see the future of their industry.

Steve Lawrence, economics project manager at Seafish said: “We have to find out from those on the front line of the fishing industry how their economic performance has been over the past 12 months. This insight means we can keep all those in the sector fully informed on the health of the fleet.

Anybody interested in taking part in the survey should contact Steve Lawrence on 0131 524 8663 or email [email protected].