Improvements in fish health, welfare, and survival are among the highlights mentioned by Salmon Scotland.
Photo: Salmon Scotland.
"The achievements discussed herein have only been possible through the considerable hard work and investment of salmon farmers that farm across Scotland's west coast and Northern and Western Isles."
This is how Salmon Scotland's CEO, Tavish Scott, concluded the letter he sent on behalf of the trade body at the end of September to the Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (RAIC), providing an update on developments and ongoing activities that it considers relevant to the Committee's work on salmon farming.
Among the highlights, Salmon Scotland mentioned the investment of approximately GBP 1 billion that salmon producers have made in fish health and welfare since 2018, record survival figures from January to August, and data suggesting that 2025 will be the year in which Scottish farmed salmon exports exceed GBP 1 billion for the first time.
The letter sent to Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) is a direct result of the disagreement last January between Scottish salmon farmers and the RAIC, following Salmon Scotland's exposure of the Committee's double standards by comparing salmon farming with other forms of animal protein production, focusing on mortality rates.
"All farmers, whether on land or at sea, work to produce nutritious, healthy and sustainable food for consumers. From time to time, we all experience challenges that are beyond our control. Elected representatives need to recognise all modes of food production, in a fair and balanced manner," stated the letter emailed at the time by Salmon Scotland CEO Tavish Scott to RAIC convenor Finlay Carson.
Now, Scott reiterated that the approximately GBP 1 billion investment that salmon producers have made in fish health and welfare over the past seven years is paying off.
Along with improvements in fish health, welfare, and survival, producers also reported significant improvements in overall biological performance, fish growth, and productivity. "The sector anticipates 2025 as a strong year for productivity and overall production output," the letter continues.
Survival in the first half of 2025, to date, has exceeded expectations, with record figures. According to Salmon Scotland, the data for January to August 2025 is 92.31%, the lowest mortality since records began in 2018, but it was even better in the first half of the year, when the survival rate of Scottish farmed salmon averaged 99.12%.
Another encouraging development was the reduction in antibiotic use. In 2024, antibiotic use in Scottish salmon farming fell to 5.1 mg/kg, a reduction of almost 80% compared to 2023, and the lowest use since records began in 2017. Furthermore, use was limited to a small number of farms: 8% of all farms in 2024 (7.1% in marine and 10.6% in freshwater).
In its letter to the RAIC, Salmon Scotland also highlighted that, globally, Scottish salmon is the UK's most exported food product, with a value of GBP 844 million exported in 2024. Furthermore, the trade body stated that data for 2025 suggests the sector is on track for another record year, with exports likely to exceed GBP 1 billion for the first time.
Scottish salmon farmers expect these figures to improve even further following the trade agreement between the UK and India, which will reduce tariffs from 30% to 0%, and for which the sector is already preparing. "This is an immensely exciting new market for salmon from Scotland, and we would hope that the Committee would support our desire to develop market share in India," says the letter signed by Tavish Scott.
Meanwhile, at home, salmon is the most popular fish in retail, with sales reaching GBP 1.5 billion in 2024. "These sales reflect not only consumer preference for Scottish salmon, but also the strict standards underpinned by legislation, alongside additional and rigorous auditing carried out by retailers and customers across the country," Salmond Scotland's letter states.
The trade body also recalled MSPs that, in 2024, more than 1,600 audits were carried out by certification bodies, with producers investing more than GBP 10 million in compliance systems, verifications, and audits.
All this while the sector—which contributes over GBP 760 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) annually and directly employs over 2,500 people in salmon production, which translates to over 10,000 jobs when indirect activity and the supply chain are included—continues to explore closed and semi-closed farming systems, as is the case with SeaQureFarming and Loch Long Salmon.
"We hope the Committee wish to see our sector develop in serving existing and new markets such as India. We cannot develop as businesses, with a threat of moratorium. We welcome the fact that the Scottish Government do not support the Committee's position on this," Salmon Scotland CEO Tavish Scott added.