UK landings in decline At many of the main UK markets, landings of fish have fallen significantly over the last 18 months. The hardest hit have been the Scottish ports with landings down to just a fifth on previous figures, and the Scots now losing ground to other more competitive regions. In the Humber region, local rivalry is driving change with Hull's Fishgate market managing to attract Grimsby merchants from across the river. The hi-tech market has received praise from right across the market. As a completely temperature controlled building many merchants have been pleased with the excellent quality and condition of the fish sold. In contrast, Grimsby's own electronic market is struggling to get going as agreement between all those who use the market has yet to be reached. As with the Zeebrugge electronic market, both Hull and Grimsby are able to trade electronically throughout the country and Europe and this will help to keep the price of fish more stable than in the past. With information accessible across Europe, it seems landings and merchants will centre around those locations that can offer the best temperature controlled conditions together with the speed and ease of electronic trading. That's in a a context of a rapidly globalising industry due to restricted fish supplies particularly in the north Atlantic. Industry observers are all too aware that with more pain for the Atlantic and North Sea industries yet to come, only the fittest and well prepared will succeed in making a reasonable profit. {{MEAT }}

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