Scottish salmon antibiotic use plummets

According to new figures from industry body Salmon Scotland, the amount of antibiotics used in 2024 dropped to just 5.1mg per kilo, down from 24.8mg in 2023.

“This is a major milestone for Scottish salmon farmers,” said Dr Iain Berrill, head of technical at Salmon Scotland.

“Antibiotic use has fallen to the lowest level we have ever recorded. Like any medicine, antibiotics are used responsibly and only when absolutely necessary in the health and welfare interests of our fish.”

The dramatic reduction follows more than £1 billion in long-term investment across veterinary care, stock management and technology. While antibiotics are still used when deemed absolutely necessary by licensed veterinarians, the data highlights a significant shift towards more sustainable and preventative health measures in fish farming.

In 2024, just 8% of all salmon farms required antibiotic treatment. That includes only 7.1% of seawater farms and 10.6% of freshwater sites, meaning the vast majority of farms used none at all. No antibiotics critical to human health are used, and residues are not found in the food chain, which the industry says gives consumers confidence in Scottish salmon.

The news comes alongside further positive indicators for the sector. Fish survival rates hit a new high, averaging 99.12% between January and June 2024, with cumulative mortality down by over a third. Overall survival reached 82.3%, up from 72.3% the previous year.

Scottish salmon remains the UK’s most valuable food export, supporting 12,500 jobs and generating £760 million for the Scottish economy annually.