Review of the Amended Economic Link License Condition
A review of the impact of the Scottish Government's economic link licence condition following the introduction of amended arrangements in 2023.
3. Analysis of landings data
At its most basic level, the amended economic link provisions were introduced to ensure greater landings of key stocks into Scotland, with these key stocks being the eight with the greatest landed value into Scotland (accounting for around 90% of the value of total landings by Scottish vessels of TAC stocks).
Landings data for species covered by economic link licence conditions
In the section below we look – in detail – at trends in relation to the landing of the stocks covered by Scottish economic link requirements. This will provide us with information to see if the change has achieved the policy aim of increasing landings into Scotland. We will begin by analysing changes in landed values into Scotland
Where possible, published statistics have been used in the analysis. 2024 data is provisional and subject to change. Any reference to progress so far in 2025 refers to the calendar year up to 8 May 2025 and is management data. These figures are highly subject to change, as a significant proportion of the mackerel fishery, and the seasonal herring fishery, is yet to take place. Data from Norges Sildesalgslag (NSS), the Norwegian Fisheries website, was used for landings of Scottish vessels into Norway. All prices are real and have been adjusted for inflation[1], unless where clearly stated otherwise. Some figures may not sum due to rounding.
Overview
Tables 1 and 2 (below) show the proportion of tonnage and value landed into all ports in Scotland, by the Scottish fishing fleet, for each of the eight key species covered by economic link, for the period 2018 to 2024. Table 3 shows the total tonnage landed by the Scottish fleet, anywhere, for the eight key species, whilst Table 4 shows the same but for total value.
| % Tonnage Landed into Scotlad | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024^ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cod | 99% | 100% | 99% | 98% | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| Haddock | 99% | 99% | 100% | 99% | 100% | 99% | 99% |
| Hake | 90% | 93% | 93% | 91% | 92% | 96% | 86% |
| Monkfish | 92% | 90% | 91% | 95% | 88% | 90% | 89% |
| Whiting | 99% | 98% | 98% | 97% | 97% | 98% | 95% |
| Nephrops | 93% | 93% | 95% | 97% | 97% | 96% | 92% |
| Herring | 59% | 53% | 57% | 63% | 53% | 56% | 68% |
| Mackeral | 49% | 44% | 46% | 46% | 48% | 52% | 57% |
^ Provisional
| % Value Landed into Scotland | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024^ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cod | 99% | 100% | 99% | 98% | 99% | 98% | 98% |
| Haddock | 99% | 100% | 100% | 99% | 100% | 99% | 99% |
| Hake | 91% | 94% | 92% | 90% | 92% | 96% | 88% |
| Monkfish | 97% | 93% | 94% | 96% | 94% | 92% | 97% |
| Whiting | 99% | 99% | 98% | 97% | 96% | 98% | 97% |
| Nephrops | 93% | 93% | 96% | 97% | 97% | 96% | 94% |
| Herring | 57% | 51% | 54% | 60% | 51% | 54% | 65% |
| Mackeral | 47% | 44% | 44% | 46% | 47% | 50% | 55% |
^ Provisional
| Scottish Landings Anywhere (Tonnes) | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024^ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cod | 18,489 | 14,547 | 8,426 | 5,871 | 6,868 | 10,546 | 11,795 |
| Haddock | 28,900 | 27,129 | 23,480 | 20,282 | 26,902 | 36,287 | 35,153 |
| Hake | 6,792 | 5,562 | 4,392 | 3,561 | 4,970 | 3,300 | 2,382 |
| Monkfish | 12,760 | 10,707 | 11,516 | 12,677 | 11,997 | 11,638 | 9,129 |
| Whiting | 9,054 | 9,843 | 10,105 | 10,316 | 8,881 | 10,400 | 8,186 |
| Nephrops | 18,260 | 24,262 | 15,997 | 22,510 | 19,299 | 20,515 | 18,236 |
| Herring | 64,622 | 49,433 | 48,774 | 51,471 | 72,837 | 66,156 | 81,000 |
| Mackerel | 154,538 | 127,630 | 170,742 | 185,153 | 173,570 | 192,760 | 192,000 |
^ Provisional
| Scottish Landings Anywhere (£000s) | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024^ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cod | 43,444 | 40,874 | 24,173 | 20,204 | 25,830 | 35,161 | 40,892 |
| Haddock | 42,364 | 41,479 | 32,615 | 29,026 | 34,094 | 38,519 | 41,660 |
| Hake | 14,122 | 12,858 | 9,201 | 8,454 | 12,776 | 10,116 | 6,589 |
| Monkfish | 38,610 | 33,876 | 30,136 | 34,335 | 36,330 | 36,453 | 30,302 |
| Whiting | 11,690 | 12,779 | 12,662 | 14,192 | 11,971 | 10,566 | 9,265 |
| Nephrops | 68,906 | 86,665 | 47,016 | 71,660 | 88,366 | 85,415 | 75,752 |
| Herring | 24,377 | 26,387 | 27,357 | 32,941 | 50,169 | 45,137 | 51,000 |
| Mackerel | 165,640 | 158,728 | 186,293 | 211,442 | 213,351 | 248,265 | 281,000 |
^ Provisional
Demersal
Of the eight species included in the economic link policy, all six demersal and Nephrops species fleets comfortably surpass the required 55% landing obligation – though landings will vary from vessel to vessel. This is a continuation of the trend evident prior to 2023, and there seems to be little evidence of any change in behaviour following the amendment of the policy. There was a slight decrease in the proportion of tonnage of monkfish and Nephrops landed into Scotland in 2024, although the proportion of value landed into Scotland was consistent with previous years for these species. Hake saw a decrease in the proportion of both tonnage and value landed into Scotland in 2024, although proportions remain close to previous lows, and well above the 55% threshold.
Pelagic
The two pelagic species targeted by the policy have seen an increase in the proportion of tonnage, and value, landed into Scotland, by the Scottish fleet, in 2023 and 2024. At a fleet level, both herring and mackerel fisheries met the staggered increases in required landings for 2023 (30%) and 2024 (40%). Landings data also shows that all of Scotland’s pelagic vessels achieved the required landings target for 2023 (30% of total landings of mackerel and herring) and 2024 (40% of total landings of mackerel and herring) at an individual level. In 2024, both species reported their highest percentage landings into Scotland by the Scottish fleet since 2018.
Since the introduction of the amended economic link provisions in January 2023, the proportion of herring landings by Scottish vessels into Scotland compared to total herring landings by Scottish vessels anywhere (landings into Scotland and landings out with Scotland) has increased by 19% compared to the average proportion of herring landed into Scotland between 2018 and 2022. For mackerel, this proportion increase has been 23%. This has resulted in an extra £6.0 million of herring, and an extra £52.5 million of mackerel, being landed into Scotland since the economic link licence changes were introduced. Whilst these additional landings cannot be solely attributed to changes in the economic link policy, the policy changes coincide with increased landings into Scotland by the Scottish fleet (Graphs 3 & 4), and were identified as a key driver of these increased landings into Scotland in stakeholder interviews conducted by government officials in early 2025 (Section 4 below).
Compared to 2023 (the first year of the policy changes), the proportion of herring tonnage landed into Scotland has grown by 21%, with 68% of Scottish-caught herring landed into Scotland in 2024. For mackerel, the proportion landed into Scotland has grown by 9%, with 57% of Scottish-caught mackerel landed into Scotland in 2024. Feedback from stakeholders (see Section 4 below) and from Fisheries Offices suggests that vessels are using a higher proportion of herring to comply with the economic link landings target requirements to make the most of higher mackerel prices offered abroad. This would support the greater rise in the proportion of herring landings observed compared to mackerel landings since the introduction of the policy changes.
Early analysis of 2025 management data shows that the pelagic fleet has landed around 70% of total landings into Scotland[2], although compliance at an individual level varies by vessel. Currently, around 75% of pelagic vessels are meeting the required proportion, though there is considerable fishing left in the year and these figures are heavily subject to change.
Landings data for specific ports
The increase in landings of mackerel and herring has been most pronounced in Shetland (Lerwick) and Peterhead, as these are the two areas in Scotland with significant pelagic processing capacity. In 2023 and 2024, those pelagic vessels who were required to change their behaviour to comply with the landings target element of economic link, focused their landings into Lerwick (which has one pelagic processing facility) and Peterhead (which has three pelagic processing facilities). It should be noted that there are no other pelagic processing facilities elsewhere in Scotland.
Graphs 1 and 2 show the value and tonnage of mackerel and herring landed into Peterhead and Lerwick Fishing Districts[3] between 2015 and 2024. Both districts have seen a general sustained increase in the real value and tonnage landed, although the tonnage landed into Shetland was decreasing between 2015 and 2019.
Provisional 2024 figures suggest that both Shetland and Peterhead saw record landed value from mackerel and herring, with each district recording around £60 million, and £135 million, respectively. Further analysis suggests that Peterhead also saw a record year for tonnage landed of mackerel and herring in 2024, with close to 120,000 tonnes being landed into the district. This is supported by official publications released by Peterhead Port Authority[4].
As stated above, whilst the increase in tonnage and value cannot be solely attributed to the economic link policy, the policy changes coincide with increased landings into these ports, and with observed changes of vessels switching to landing more tonnage into Scotland from other nations (Table 1). Such sentiments were also echoed in the interviews which government officials held with stakeholders in early 2025.
^ Provisional
* 2024 prices
^ Provisional
* 2024 prices
Changes in behaviour within the pelagic fleet
For 2023 and 2024, what is referred to as the ‘pelagic fleet’ comprised 21 vessels (this figure has fluctuated slightly since 2015 as vessels are replaced, merged, or have become inactive).
Within this fleet, 12 vessels landed the majority (over 50%) of their mackerel and herring tonnage out with Scotland between 2015 and 2022. The actual share landed abroad by this group of vessels was 77%. Since the introduction of the economic link licensing conditions on 1 January 2023, these vessels have significantly increased the proportion of herring and mackerel tonnage landed into Scotland (Graph 3), in line with, or slightly exceeding, the targets set out in the licensing conditions. In 2023, this group of vessels landed 40% of all their mackerel and herring caught into Scotland, with this proportion increasing to 45% in 2024. Analysis of management data suggests that the proportion of mackerel and herring landed by these vessels into Scotland has continued to grow, to around 55% so far in 20257.
This change in behaviour has resulted in the total proportion of herring and mackerel tonnage landed into Scotland, by the whole Scottish pelagic fleet, increasing, from an average of 50% between 2015 to 2022, to 57% in 2023, and 63% in 2024 (Graph 4). Analysis of management data suggests that the proportion of mackerel and herring landed into Scotland is closer to 70% in 2025 so far[7].
Despite concerns that vessels who have historically landed most of their herring and mackerel tonnage into Scotland might seek to increase landings out with Scotland, there has been little change in their catching behaviour. This fleet sector landed an average of 82% of herring and mackerel into Scotland between 2015 and 2022. Since the introduction of the policy changes, this fleet sector landed 77% of herring and mackerel into Scotland in 2023, and 84% in 2024.
^ Provisional
^ Provisional