Scottish salmon was the UK’s largest food export in 2022 according to the latest figures released by HMRC. With sales reaching £578 million during the year, France was the top global demander of the nutritious fish grown in the chilly waters of the Highlands and islands.

“Scottish salmon is an extraordinary global success story that we can all be immensely proud of, supporting thousands of jobs and contributing hundreds of millions of pounds to the UK economy.” – Tavish Scott, CEO of Salmon Scotland

The Scottish salmon industry directly employs 2,500 people and supports an additional 10,000 jobs that are dependent on the sector. Despite a slight decrease from the previous year, fresh whole Scottish salmon export sales of £578 million were only six percent lower than in 2021 (£614 million) and a similar rate below the record £617 million in 2019.

European destinations dominated the sector, as it continued to recover from the effects of Brexit. Scottish salmon was exported to 54 countries, with North America and Asia showing strong demand.