A regional breakdown of HMRC figures by trade body Salmon Scotland shows that 8,630 tonnes of salmon worth £77 million were exported from Orkney in the 12 months to June.

The industry supports 180 jobs in the islands.

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

“These remarkable figures reflect the hard work of salmon farmers in Orkney and across rural Scotland, as well as the growing global demand for our nutritious fish.

“Despite the lingering effects of Covid, the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and inflated costs, our sector remains a true bright spot.

“It generates hundreds of millions of pounds for the economy and creates thousands of jobs, supporting thriving remote coastal communities and under-pressure public services.

“Both the UK and Scottish governments recognise the potential for continued sustainable growth, positioning Scotland to lead the world in the blue economy and expand the availability of one of the most nutritious foods we have.”

In Scotland as a whole for the period June 23 to June 24 farmed salmon sales were worth £706million up 17 % from £581 million in 2023)

Scottish Deputy First Minister in the Scottish Government Kate Forbes said:

“These exceptional figures clearly demonstrate the surging global demand for Scottish salmon, which is correctly recognised as a premium high-quality product.

“The Scottish farmed salmon sector is important to our economy, providing well paid jobs in Scotland’s rural and island communities.

“The Scottish Government is fully committed to working with industry to aid sector growth in overseas markets, whilst solidifying their premier status in domestic markets.

“In doing so, we will continue to drive sustainable growth, which will have significant economic benefits.”

Farmed salmon represents 11 per cent of Scotland’s total exports, with sales from the islands up 19 per cent year-on-year, rising from £65 million.

The Scottish Salmon Industry is undergoing an investigation by the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs & Islands (RAI) Committee.

Committee Convener Finlay Carson Conservative MSP explained:

“Our inquiry is focussed on determining to what extent recommendations made by our predecessors in 2018, to address economic, social and environmental issues related to the salmon farming industry in Scotland, have been implemented.

“We will also be keen to learn more about the issues around spatial demands on the Scottish marine environment, that we’ve heard so much about during our inquiry work.”

In November 2018, the then Rural Economy & Connectivity Committee (RECC) said that urgent action needed to be taken to improve the regulation of the Scottish salmon farming industry and to address fish health and environmental challenges.

At the time, the Committee set out its recommendations about how challenges, such as the control of sea lice, rising fish mortalities and the need to reduce the sector’s impact on the environment, should be addressed. The Committee also said that the current standards of regulation of the sector was ‘not acceptable’.

Scottish farmed salmon was the UK’s top food export by value in 2023. Figures from the HMRC show that export sales for the calendar year totalled £581m.

In 2022, 169,194 tonnes of Atlantic salmon were produced in Scotland – a decrease of 36,199 tonnes on the 2021 total of 205,393 tonnes, which was the highest level of production ever recorded in Scotland.

In 2023, data published by the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) recorded 17.4 million fish mortalities on Scottish Salmon farms which exceeded the 17.2 million of 2022’s record-breaking year.

National summary of salmon exports by value and volume (January-June 2024 (whole, fresh/chilled salmon, comparison vs January-June 2023):

• Global: £431m (+£125m / +41%) (47,200 tonnes; +49%)
• EU: £272m (+£98m / +57%) (32,000 tonnes; +61%)
• Non-EU: £159m (+£27m / +21%) (15,300 tonnes; +29%)
• France: £261m (+£125m / +91%) (30,800 tonnes; +99%)
• United States: £91m (+£14m / +18%) (8,800 tonnes; +20%)
• China: £42m (+£9m / +26%) (4,000 tonnes; +54%)
• Taiwan: £12m (+£3m / +41%) (1,100 tonnes; +64%)
• Poland: £5m (-£12m / -71%) (600 tonnes; -73%)
• Singapore: £4m (+£2m / +57%) (400 tonnes; +63%)
• UAE: £2m (+£1m / +134%) (300 tonnes; +180%)
• Ireland: £2m (-£2m / -54%) (200 tonnes; -60%)
• Netherlands: £2m (-£7m / -81%) (200 tonnes; -80%)

Fiona Grahame