Salmon Scotland is urging the government to overhaul the licensing system so that money made by salmon farmers stays in local and rural communities.
The current system means that more than £20 million a year paid by salmon farmers is redistributed across the entire country instead of being used directly to support coastal and rural communities.
The organisation, which represents the needs of salmon producers, is calling for around £10 million of this revenue to be reinvested in rural communities, with a particular focus on housing.
“The shortage of available, affordable housing in island and Highland communities is pricing people out of the housing market, and businesses are experiencing problems recruiting and retaining staff - leading to hard-to-fill vacancies, skills shortages and depopulation,” said Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland.
“Long-term house price rises are being exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis, and Scottish ministers should be looking at every lever available to them to make life easier for working people.
“There is an opportunity in the Programme for Government for ministers to ensure the millions sent to quangos are put to better use by building affordable housing, ensuring the economic success generated by Scotland’s biggest food export is enjoyed by the communities where we operate.”
