Scottish fish farm production survey 2024

28th October 2025

The Scottish Government today published the Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2024. The publication details statistics on the employment and production from Scottish fish farms.

It is structured to follow industry trends within the farmed Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout and other species sectors.

Some key figures from this publication are:

In 2024, production of Atlantic salmon increased by 41,051 tonnes (27%) to 192,000 tonnes.

The total number of smolts produced in 2024 decreased by 6.9 million (13%) to 44.6 million.
Production tonnage of rainbow trout decreased by 12% in 2024 to 8,171 tonnes.

Brown and sea trout production increased from 16 tonnes to 23 tonnes in 2024.

In 2024, the total number of staff directly employed in salmon production was 1,362 staff, a decrease of 118 people (8%) compared with 2023. These staffing figures refer to production of Atlantic salmon in seawater and do not include staff involved with processing or marketing activities.

The full statistical publication for 2024 can be accessed at: Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2024 - https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-fish-farm-production-survey-2024/