Thanks to increased demand for Scottish salmon both domestically and internationally, higher survival rates mean a strengthening of food security and a boost to economic growth.
Photo: Salmon Scotland.
Reflecting sustained improvements in fish health and farm management, farmed salmon survival rates in Scotland continue to improve to the point that, averaging 99.03% between January and March, they reached an all-time high in Q1 2026. According to Salmon Scotland, this is the best start to the year ever recorded.
However, this is not the only record achieved, as new figures presented by the trade body showed that survival reached 99.1% in March, which is not only an improvement over the previous record for the third month of the year—reached in March 2025, when survival stood at 98.98%—, but is also the best result for a month of March since records began in 2018.
The recent positive trend continues, as these records set in early 2026 follow a strong 2025, when the average stood at around 98.3% for the entire year, although it averaged 99.12% from January through June.
"These figures are a testament to our members' hard work and commitment to fish health and welfare, and to responsible farming," the CEO of Salmon Scotland, Tavish Scott, said, commenting on the results. "Scottish salmon farmers uphold the highest animal welfare standards in the world, but they are always striving to do better," he added.
As Salmon Scotland underlined in its release, to maximize survival and strengthen resilience, since 2018 Scottish salmon farmers have invested over GBP 1 billion in innovation in areas such as veterinary care, technology and stock management.
State-of-the-art freshwater treatment vessels, research, efforts to reduce the time salmon spend at sea, staff training, and improved monitoring systems are some examples of the measures to which this multi-million-pound investment by the sector has been allocated.
The trade body also pointed out that the Scottish salmon industry is the only farm animal sector in the UK that publishes detailed farm-level survival statistics. The organization has repeatedly argued that focusing on mortality creates a double standard when comparing salmon farming to other forms of animal protein production.
Therefore, as he did in October, when he sent a letter to the Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (RAIC) listing the sector's latest accomplishments, the CEO of Salmon Scotland again emphasized that the record survival rates are not only encouraging, but also reflect the dedication of producers in Scotland's coastal communities, as well as the impact of sustained investment in fish health, technology and farm management.
"This progress helps ensure Scottish salmon remains one of the country's great food success stories," Tavish Scott continued. "Higher survival means more nutritious, low-carbon food reaching consumers at home and overseas, supporting jobs, communities, and economic growth," he added.
Salmon Scotland also noted that higher survival rates mean a strengthening of food security and a boost to economic growth, thanks to increased demand both domestically and internationally.
Scottish salmon is the UK's top food export—it set a record in volume sold last year—and remains the country's most popular fish, with international sales reaching GBP 828 million in 2025 and domestic sales valued at GBP 1.5 billion.
The sector contributes nearly GBP 1 billion to the economy each year and supports 11,000 jobs across Scotland, many of them in rural and coastal communities, as the Scottish salmon trade body reminded candidates for the Scottish Parliament elections—which are being held today, May 7—in the letter it sent them a few weeks ago with its "wish list" for the next government, urging them to cut red tape and support jobs, investment, and export growth.