A farmer holding a Scottish salmon at a fish farm in Scotland.
Photo: Salmon Scotland.
On November 10, the Official Journal of the European Union announced that 'Scottish salmon' is now a protected geographical indication in the European Union (EU). Scottish salmon has thus secured protected legal status across the EU, being recognised as a premium product. The regulation shall enter into force 20 days after this publication.
As the trade body Salmon Scotland noted in a statement, the official protected geographical indication (PGI) gives European consumers confidence that they are eating Scottish salmon.
The EU itself explains on its website that the PGI emphasises the relationship between the specific geographic region and the name of the product, where a particular quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.
In the case of the PGI 'Scottish Salmon', the strict geographical designation will be "the coastal region of mainland Scotland, Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland Isles." This means that only salmon raised in these areas can be sold as 'Scottish salmon' within the European Union.
This labelling decision from the European Commission means that the term 'Scottish salmon' has a protected geographical indication, which aligns with a new UK PGI already in place following Brexit.
"As part of our Plan for the Change, the UK Government's Brand Scotland initiative is fully backing Scotland's world-class food and drink sector, including securing a trade deal with the EU that will remove red tape for businesses such as Scottish salmon producers to export to the continent," said UK Government Scotland Office Minister, Kirsty McNeill.
"Salmon is one of the jewels in the crown of Scotland's world-class produce and this move will help maintain its hard-earned global reputation for unrivalled quality," she added.
Tavish Scott, Chief Executive of Salmon Scotland, expressed a similar view. "Scottish salmon is a premium product, so this decision ensures that European consumers know they are eating the best salmon in the world when they purchase our fish," he said.
"The EU PGI will boost consumer confidence across the continent and help us further grow our export market, delivering jobs and investment for rural communities in Scotland," Tavish Scott continued.
"Our salmon farmers work hard to rear their fish, and this recognition by the European Commission is testament to the commitment of all those who continue to meet the growing demand for Scottish salmon at home and abroad," the CEO of Scotland Salmon concluded.
Although packaging will still make it clear that the salmon are farm-raised, the EU has decided to change a previously protected name from 'Scottish Farmed Salmon' to 'Scottish Salmon'. The protection also prevents any attempt in EU countries to describe fish from other places as Scottish.
Furthermore, as Salmon Scotland explains, this new labelling will have no impact on wild Scottish salmon, as it is no longer commercially available for consumption.
In the rolling 12 months to the end of June, salmon exports from Scotland increased by 33% to reach GBP 941 million. Scottish salmon is the UK's largest food export, with exports on track to reach GBP 1 billion for the first time in 2025.
Therefore, securing protection status across the EU for Scottish salmon is key, given that the European Union is its main export destination. France, in particular, is the largest international market for this fish, accounting for more than half of all exports, with sales of GBP 462 million in 2024.
There, the new EU label will join the prestigious Label Rouge brand, awarded more than 30 years ago for its superior quality, which accounts for approximately one-third of Scottish salmon exports to this country.
Such is its importance that, in July this year, Salmon Scotland and the Scottish Government—which contributed 50/50—launched a GBP 100,000 campaign to boost sales of Label Rouge Scottish salmon in France and other key European markets.
Moreover, a few days ago, we learned that, amid growing demand, sales within the United Kingdom had increased by 7.2% between August 2024 and August 2025, reaching GBP 1.5 billion. Scottish salmon, therefore, proved that it remains the UK's favorite fish.