An annual survey from the Scottish Government shows the country’s fish farmers have delivered a 7% increase in salmon volumes to the highest level ever recorded.
Farmers grew 226,000 tons of salmon in 2021 to meet worldwide demand, while the total number of smolts – young salmon – increased by 0.7 million to 51.2m.
Covid and Brexit challenges
There was a small decrease in farming staff numbers, reflecting Covid and post-Brexit labour market challenges.
However, Salmon Scotland said the total number of workers in the sector remains consistent at around 2,500 – with an additional 10,000 indirect jobs through the supply chain.
Separate figures show the sector delivers £760m for the Scottish economy, supporting fragile coastal communities, while HMRC data confirms Scottish salmon is the UK’s largest food export.
Salmon Scotland chief executive Tavish Scott said: “2021 was a record year for Scottish salmon and that is credit to the hard-working farmers and everyone in our sector who rose to the challenge of meeting demand for our world-renowned fish.
“Farm-raised Scottish salmon is a global success story that Scotland can take pride in.
“We put the best-tasting and healthiest protein product on people’s plates and deliver the highest environmental and welfare standards.
Salmon sector generates ‘hundreds of millions of pounds’
“Our sector supports more than 2,500 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs, most of which are in some of the country’s most fragile coastal communities, generating hundreds of millions of pounds for our economy.
“All this has been achieved despite the challenges of Covid and Brexit. With the right government support – streamlined regulation, a more business-friendly approach to immigration and action to tackle rural housing shortages – we can deliver further sustainable growth.”