WHITEFISH landings in Shetland continue to rise, largely due to the success of the isles’ electronic auction system.
Shetland Seafood Auction say that while the volume of landings are up 12 per cent, value has risen by 26 percent compared to 2004.
The company, which since August 2003 has operated an electronic auction system at the Lerwick fishmarket, recorded 7,173 tonnes of whitefish last year with a value of £8.7 million.
The figures for 2004 were 6,443 tonnes with a value of £6.9 million, and in 2003 5,003 tonnes were landed with a value of £5 million.
Manager of Shetland Seafood Auction, Martin Leyland said: “This increase in landings of white fish demonstrates the significant progress that the auction development has made despite the overall decline in the white fish catching sector.

“It was a very successful year for the auction. We also saw an increase in the number of boxes seafood auction staff were weighing and grading.
“We are now seeing boats from Orkney, Norway and the Faroe Islands landing in Shetland. That is good news for the whitefish sector as well as for the associated industries.”

www.fishupdate.com

Posted: 01|24|06 at 9:02 am. Filed under: UK News.