FDBusiness.com

Scottish farmed salmon continues to show record export growth, rising by 37% to 34,840 tonnes in the January to May 2011 period compared with the same months last year. Scotland is the largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the EU and the third largest globally, behind Norway and Chile.

Scottish salmon production increased to over 150,000 tonnes in 2010, marking a third successive annual increase. In 2010 salmon farming provided 1,813 direct jobs in Scotland, an increase of around 15% on the previous year (while many more jobs are supported indirectly).

“Scottish salmon is a high quality, delicious product that is becoming increasingly popular around the world – as illustrated by the latest booming export figures. Last year salmon accounted for 36% of the value of Scottish food exports, while the industry also provides much needed employment opportunities in our fragile rural communities,” points out Scottish Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson. “It’s important that we continue to promote this key product and encourage further investment in the industry, as well as working with others internationally on ways to continue improving the environmental sustainability of aquaculture.”

According to Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO): “The salmon farming sector has made around £150 million in capital investment during the last five years – the vast majority of this has been in the Highlands andIslands.”