Salmon farming

International recognition of quality and provenance

  • In 1992, Scottish farmed salmon was the first fish and the first non-French product to obtain the prestigious Label Rouge accolade
  • Label Rouge Scottish Salmon has worked with the Master Chefs of France for circa 20 years
  • Scottish farmed salmon holds a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), granted by the European Commission, in the same way as Bayonne Ham, Pauillac lamb and Marennes Oléron oysters
  • Ten million chefs around the world are being encouraged by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) to cook with Scottish salmon
  • Scottish salmon was named 'best farmed salmon in the world' in a poll of international seafood buyers from leading retail and food service companies based on superior taste, quality and appearance

A model of responsible economic development

  • Scottish salmon is grown in crystal clear, pristine Scottish waters to extremely high specifications meeting stringent animal welfare standards
  • Farmed salmon has been produced in Scotland for forty years
  • Scotland pioneered the world’s first commercial salmon farms in the late 1960s
  • In 1980, Scottish salmon farming production accounted for 600 tonnes
  • In 2011, over 150,000 tonnes were produced
  • The Scottish salmon farming industry is the most tightly regulated aquaculture industry in the world
  • The Scottish Government is supportive of the industry’s planned expansion
  • 98% of Scottish salmon farmers participate in the independently audited Code of Good Practice (CoGP)

Record export performance of Scottish farmed salmon

  • Salmon is Scotland’s largest food export
  • 2011 was a record year for Scottish salmon exports as global demand for the healthy and sustainable protein continues to grow
  • Fresh Scottish salmon now reaches 64 countries worldwide