Salmon farmers in Scotland harvested a combined 162,817 metric tons (MT) of fish last year, a decrease of 5.2 percent or 8,905 MT compared with 2015, but this year’s total is expected to bounce back to a level of 177,202 MT.
According to figures compiled by Marine Scotland Science for the Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2016, marine salmon production was undertaken by 15 businesses farming 253 active sites, which represented a decrease of one business and one active site compared with 2015.
In 2016, the total number of staff in marine salmon production increased by 123 to 1,486, while the number of staff employed in freshwater salmon production (294) remained the same as in 2015.
The total number of smolts produced last year decreased by 4 percent to 42.9 million, while the number of ova laid down to hatch decreased by 5.6 percent to 64.3 million, with more than 90 percent being derived from foreign sources. In 2016, 361,000 ova were exported.
Scotland’s rainbow trout production, meanwhile, decreased by 6 percent to 8,096 MT, but this was still the second highest level of rainbow trout production recorded by Scotland. Rainbow trout production was carried out by 24 businesses operating 44 active sites, which was one site less than in 2015.
The report said that there was continued interest in the diversification of aquaculture in Scotland last year, with brown/sea trout production decreasing by 1 MT to 41 MT, while halibut production increased by 11 MT to 67 MT.
Production estimates forecast increases in brown/sea trout (92 MT) and halibut (80 MT) production this year.
Also in 2016, lumpsucker and various species of wrasse were cultured for use as a biological control for parasites in the marine Atlantic salmon industry, with 3.3 million and 5.2 million ova being laid down to hatch respectively.
The export value of U.K. salmon increased by more than 53 percent to GBP 408 million (USD 551.9 million, EUR 463.4 million) in the first-half of this year, making it the country’s second most valuable food and drink export, confirmed recent industry figures issued by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). The volume of salmon exports rose by 24 percent year-on-year during this six-month period.
