Scotland’s salmon-farming industry has recorded its highest survival rates for the opening quarter of the year ever, with industry figures pointing to sustained improvements in fish health, farm management, and production practices.
New data released by industry body Salmon Scotland shows survival rates reached 99.1 percent in March – the strongest performance for that month since farm-level reporting began in 2018. The figure edges above the previous March record of 98.98 percent set in 2025 and continues a broader upward trend across the sector.
Average survival across Q1 2026 also hit a record high at 99.03 percent, narrowly surpassing the 99.02 percent achieved during the same period last year and representing the strongest start to a production year on record.
“Record survival rates are encouraging and reflect the dedication of farmers across Scotland’s coastal communities," Salmon Scotland CEO Tavish Scott said in a release. “They also show the impact of sustained investment in fish health, technology, and farm management."
The latest results follow a comparatively robust 2025, when average monthly survival remained around 98.3 percent throughout the year.
Salmon Scotland attributed the gains to significant long-term investment in fish health and welfare measures, stating that since 2018, producers have invested more than GBP 1 billion (USD 1.4 billion, EUR 1.2 billion) in areas including veterinary care, freshwater treatment technologies, monitoring systems, staff training, and stock management strategies designed to improve resilience and reduce biological challenges.
Scott said the latest figures are a testament to the sector’s commitment to responsible farming, with salmon farmers upholding the highest animal welfare standards and “always striving to do better.”
Ongoing efforts to shorten marine grow-out periods, alongside increased use of freshwater treatment systems and enhanced monitoring, are helping improve outcomes, he added.
Scott also noted that besides responsible farming, the higher survival rates bring commercial benefits, with “more nutritious, low-carbon food reaching consumers at home and overseas, supporting jobs, communities, and economic growth.”
Scottish salmon remains the United Kingdom’s largest food export, with international sales reaching GBP 828 million (USD 1.1 billion, EUR 958.6 million) in 2025. Domestic sales were valued at GBP 1.5 billion (USD 2 billion, EUR 1.7 billion) last year, and the sector contributes close to GBP 1 billion annually to the Scottish economy and supports around 11,000 jobs, many in remote coastal communities.
The industry is the only U.K. farmed animal sector to publish detailed farm-level survival statistics publicly.
