Simpson Fish are specialists in sourcing the best possible quality whole fish from the Shetland Islands. The fishing industry in Shetland is currently in the middle of an exciting period of growth.

The local fleet is expanding and modernizing in order to take advantage of the abundant fish stocks which gather around Shetland’s vast coastline.

The Shetland Islands are literally in the middle of the most prolific fishing grounds in Europe. Indeed, Shetland is the second largest whitefish landing port in the UK. We are dedicated to sourcing for our customers the finest, freshest whitefish available for the best possible value.

Shetland

The sea is in the blood of your typical Shetlander. There is no point on land that is further away than 3 miles from the sea. For thousands of years, people’s lives have been dominated by the sea and its harvest. Today, despite the growth of the oil industry, fishing remains by far the most important sector of the local economy.

Shetland has a modern fishing fleet supplying its various strategic markets. Importantly, the vessels are still owned by independent, family businesses.

The islands of Burra and Whalsay, the historic heavyweights of Shetland fishing effort are still today home to many fishermen. Therefore, the industry plays a huge role in supporting remote communities. The fleet comprises of small under-10 metre vessels right up huge 80 metre pelagic super trawlers.

The smaller boats land their catches daily, the bigger boats land twice weekly, and the larger trawlers tend to land weekly. There is a unique blend of trawl, seine and line caught fish available. We select the best fish to suit customer’s requirements.

Shetland is the UK’s second largest whitefish port for fish landings. More than one quarter of fish landed in Scotland is set down in Shetland. Indeed, more fish is landed in Shetland than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined.

The value of whitefish landed in Shetland was £37 million last year. In 2023, over 414,000 boxes were landed marking a return to levels seen pre-Brexit and Covid.