Scottish salmon exports leap 7%

Export values rose £33 million to £478 million in the first three quarters of the year, confirming Scottish salmon’s place at the UK’s top food export.

Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said the figures underlined the vital importance Scottish salmon plays in the UK’s economy.

“Global demand for nutritious, fresh Scottish salmon continues to rise, providing hundreds of millions of healthy, nutritious meals, and supporting thousands of well paid, long-term jobs here in Scotland,” he said.

In the first nine months of the year, 53,000 tonnes of Scottish salmon were exported to more than 50 countries.

The EU continues to be the key destination for exports, accounting for £287 million of the total, with France remaining the single largest market with sales of £211 million.

Exports of Scottish salmon beyond the EU increased 15% to £191 million, with 20% heading to the US. Export growth in Asia soared by more than 40% in value to £66 million.

Protected status

Scottish salmon enjoys protected geographic indication (PGI) of ‘Scottish farmed salmon’. However, this allows inferior imported produce to be sold as ‘Scottish salmon’, which could mislead consumers.

As all Scottish salmon sold in supermarkets is farmed, the industry is urging the UK government to change the PGI name to simply ‘Scottish salmon’ to better protect produce from Scottish farms.

“Potential changes to the legal protection for Scottish salmon will help to maintain the reputation for premium Scottish salmon abroad, as well as protecting against food fraud, which risks undermining the reputation Scottish salmon has for quality and provenance,” said Scott.