Scottish salmon makes up 56% of all Scottish fish and seafood exports

17th March 2023

Scottish salmon made up more than half of all fish and seafood exports from Scotland last year, new HMRC data has revealed today.

The statistics on national and regional trade also show that fresh and chilled Scottish salmon made up 33 per cent of the UK-wide fish and seafood total.

With smoked and processed salmon included, that figure rises to 41 per cent - or £705 million.

Scottish exports of all fish and seafood were valued at £1.04 billion in 2022, which is 2 per cent higher than 2021.

Scottish salmon is the UK's biggest single food export, outperforming bakery goods, chocolate, cheese, cereals and lamb.

Farm-raised salmon directly employs 2,500 people in Scotland and a further 10,000 jobs are dependent on the sector.

Fresh, whole Scottish salmon export sales of £578 million were down just six per cent on 2021 (£614 million).

The EU accounted for almost 64 per cent of sales, with the US and Chinese markets remaining popular.

The volume of fish transported overseas fell by 26 per cent, reflecting tight supplies globally and more Scottish salmon being sold in the UK domestic market - which is valued at around £1.2 billion-a-year.

Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said, "Despite a series of economic challenges last year, Scottish salmon farmers continued to meet international demand for the UK's most popular food export.

"This is a phenomenal success story that we can all be very proud of, supporting thousands of jobs in remote areas of the country and contributing hundreds of millions of pounds towards public services.
"Scottish salmon is rightly recognised as the best in the world, and is one of the most nutritious products we can eat.

"With further responsible and sustainable growth, and with the support of both the Scottish and UK governments, we can continue to build on this success."

Commodity food exports) by sales:
Scottish salmon whole fresh - £578m
Bakery - £556m
Chocolate and cocoa preparations - £489m
Cheese - £457m
Cereals (roasted) - £408m
Lamb (fresh)- £372m
Sweet biscuits - £325m
Beef (fresh, boneless) - £280m
Barley - £250m
Wheat - £230m

Fresh Scottish salmon accounts for more than £500 million worth of fish sales across the UK retail market annually. This represents 48 per cent of the overall UK fish market, making it the most valuable single product in this category. The product is also the UK's biggest and most valuable food export, exported to more than 50 countries annually.

The salmon sector adds more than £760 million to the economy every year. At the same time, it spends £370 million, supporting over 3,600 suppliers across Scotland. More than 2,500 people are directly employed in salmon farming throughout the country, with 10,000 jobs dependent on the sector.

The Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation (SSPO) changed its name to Salmon Scotland in November 2021.