Scottish salmon farm Loch Duart Salmon has launched the new Loch Duart Standard, a bespoke assessment process that has been carefully designed to reflect the unique way Loch Duart raises its salmon from Scottish broodstock, in small-scale, low-density pens, and using a natural, welfare-led approach to farming.
The new standard represents a deliberate move away from existing frameworks, which have increasingly been adapted to suit larger operations, the company said.
At the heart of the standard is a deep commitment to accountability and animal welfare. Regular on-site audits will aim to ensure that every team member is actively responsible for the care of Loch Duart’s world-renowned salmon. This hands-on, site-specific approach provides a set of practices rooted in a direct understanding of daily farming operations, offering insights grounded in real-world, real-time conditions.
Independently managed and assessed by Leigh Grant Consulting and Partners in Welfare, the Loch Duart Standard sets new benchmarks across three key areas: farming at small scale, more on site audits, and independent verification.
“We’re proud of our 25-year track record of innovation, leading the way in fish welfare and low-impact farming. Our unique, small-scale approach to raising salmon, which we call ‘The Loch Duart Way,’ has always set us apart. Now, with the introduction of the Loch Duart Standard, we’ve created a bespoke framework tailored specifically to small-scale farming operations and not adapted from large-scale models. This new standard reflects how we farm; hands-on, welfare-led and future-focused,” Loch Duart Salmon Managing Director Mark Warrington said.
“The Loch Duart Standard prioritises accountability and introduces a new level of transparency with regular, on-site inspections and through independent audits of each site by professionals with more than 85 years of animal welfare expertise. Crucially, the standard is dynamic and agile and designed to evolve alongside the continuing advancements in fish welfare practices and environmental management.
“It’s one more example of Loch Duart going above and beyond industry norms by putting fish welfare first and ensuring that every member of our team is accountable to the high standards we work to.”
Leigh Grant Consulting said the initiative provides a unique approach to delivering fish welfare which demonstrates Loch Duart’s commitment towards innovation, transparency and improvement.
It confirmed the standard will cover every stage of production, from broodstock through to harvest, and addresses all the production processes within Loch Duart which are all aimed at raising premium, Scottish salmon.
“We have been given unhindered access to all Loch Duart sites, with an open invitation to carry out inspections whenever we choose. As such, most of our inspections will be unannounced. Importantly, and quite uniquely, whilst we will always audit documentation to ensure comprehensive record-keeping, these inspections will always focus on the fish and the majority of our time will be spent observing staff interactions with the salmon to ensure compliance to the Loch Duart Standard,” Leigh Grant Consulting said.
“Our goal is to encourage staff to develop and share best practice and to encourage them to proactively contribute to the ongoing development of this bespoke, dynamic and, ultimately, pragmatic high-welfare standard. By adopting this approach, we believe that there will be an even greater commitment to achieving and maintaining compliance.”
Loch Duart told WF that it will produce 9,000 tonnes of salmon in the current financial year, from its farms in Sutherland, the Outer Hebrides and Skye. It plans to ramp up this production to 13,000 tonnes over the subsequent two years.
