Fishermen said the catch represented almost 12 per cent of the UK’s entire North Sea saithe quota for this year.
Shetland’s fishing industry has demanded urgent action to curb Norwegian fishing in UK waters after a single trawler landed more than half the islands’ annual saithe quota in one trip.
The 70-metre Norwegian freezer trawler Havstrand landed 787 tonnes of saithe, a member of the pollock family, at Ålesund in August, caught during a trip around Shetland. The haul represented almost 12 per cent of the UK’s entire North Sea saithe quota for 2026, according to the Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA).
The SFA said the catch highlighted a growing imbalance in fishing access between Britain and Norway, as Scottish fishermen face a 25 per cent cut in their saithe quota this year and a further 20 per cent reduction proposed for 2027.
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Under annual UK-Norway fisheries agreements, each country can catch up to 30,000 tonnes of whitefish in the other’s waters. But in 2025 Norwegian vessels caught 22,581 tonnes in UK waters, compared with 9,496 tonnes caught by British vessels in Norwegian waters. Norwegian saithe catches in UK waters almost doubled between 2024 and 2025, rising from about 8,000 tonnes to 16,000 tonnes, the SFA said.
Daniel Lawson, the SFA’s executive officer, said the figures should be “a wake-up call” for both governments.
“One Norwegian vessel has landed more than half Shetland’s entire annual saithe quota in a single trip,” he said. “That ought to make everyone stop and question whether the present arrangements are serving the interests of Scotland’s fishing industry and coastal communities.”
The SFA acknowledged that Norwegian vessels were operating legally but questioned whether the arrangements were fair or sustainable. It also highlighted the disparity in vessel sizes: Norwegian freezer trawlers are commonly 50 to 80 metres long, compared with a maximum of about 28 metres for Shetland’s whitefish boats. Scotland’s whitefish fleet has no freezer trawlers.
The association said much of the Havstrand’s catch consisted of smaller saithe that could have grown to a greater size and value if left in the sea.
Britain and Norway have agreed to review their reciprocal fishing arrangements. The SFA wants a lower catch limit reflecting the volume of British fishing in Norwegian waters, alongside stronger monitoring and enforcement by the Scottish Government.
Mr Lawson said the SFA supported reciprocal access but argued that the current balance favoured Norway.
“Scottish fishermen are repeatedly asked to make sacrifices today so that fish stocks can recover for tomorrow,” he said.
“But what incentive is there to make those sacrifices if the benefits of conservation are increasingly being harvested by much larger foreign vessels?”
He added: “Who is getting the good of Scotland’s fish, and why isn’t it Scotland?”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have been working closely with stakeholders, including those in Shetland, in preparation for this year's annual negotiations. We are aware that there are mixed views across the fishing sector on the level of reciprocal whitefish access within the arrangement with Norway. Discussions with Norway and other Coastal State partners will continue over the autumn, with Scottish Government working as part of the UK delegation to seek the best possible outcomes for the whole of Scotland.”
A Defra spokesperson said: “We are committed to managing our fisheries stocks sustainably and supporting the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry.
“Consultations with Norway on the arrangements for 2027 are due to take place later this autumn and we will continue to seek the best possible deal for UK fishers.”