7,670 tonnes of farmed salmon were exported from Orkney in 2022, 11% of the Scotland-wide share.

Farmed Scottish salmon continues to be the UK’s biggest food export. In Scotland it directly employs 2,500 people and supports more than 3,600 suppliers, with 10,000 jobs dependent on the sector.

Overall, salmon overseas sales reached £578 million – down just 6% on 2021 (£614 million) and a similar rate below the record £617million in 2019. Exports were shipped to 54 different markets last year, with North America and Asia reporting strong demand.

Commenting on the figures Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said:

“Scottish salmon is an extraordinary global success story that we can all be immensely proud of, supporting thousands of jobs and contributing hundreds of millions of pounds to the UK economy.

“Achieving a return of £578million on exporting Scottish salmon comes back to areas such as Orkney, where production happens every day of the year to make sure the final product achieves the conditions which consumers expect.

“With such pressure on public services during the cost-of-living crisis, the revenue generated by our farmers has never been more important.

“Scottish salmon, grown sustainably in the cold waters off our west coast, is recognised as the best in the world – which is why it is in such high international demand. Through responsible growth of the blue economy we can help feed the world, rearing one of the most nutritious foods that we can eat. Thank you to everyone involved from egg to plate for delivering such a successful year for Scottish salmo

Figures produced by Salmon Scotland show a direct economic contribution in Orkney from the sector of £30 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2021. This represents 36.4% increase on pre-pandemic levels of £22 million. The sector also indirectly generated £39 million in GVA through the supply chain, and a further £6million positive impact in employment costs, taking the combined total to £75million.

Overseas Scottish salmon sales outperformed all the UK’s other main food exports including bakery goods, chocolate, cheese, cereals and lamb. The EU accounted for almost 64% of sales, with the US and Chinese markets remaining popular. 

Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary in the Scottish Government Mairi Gougeon said:

“It is fantastic to see strong sales of Scottish salmon in 2022 and I want to congratulate everyone in the sector on another successful year.

“Scottish salmon is a world-renowned brand and its success is testament to the quality of Scottish salmon as a product. That is why we are committed to our ongoing work to encourage investment in research, development and innovation in Scotland’s aquaculture sector alongside robust management measures, so that consumers can continue to have confidence in the sustainability of Scottish seafood.

“Food and drink is one of our priority export sectors and the continued growth in global markets means more jobs and investment across Scotland. We will continue to engage with and listen to the Scottish salmon industry to understand how we can improve export opportunities and remove barriers to trade.”