August 14, 2013

Scotland's salmon exports rise 13% in Jan-May 2013

In the first five months of this year, Scotland's exports of fresh salmon grew in value by 13%, compared to the same period last year.

Between January and May, they generated £150 million (US$232 million) compared with a value of £132 million (US$204 million) for the same period in 2012. The largest export market was to the US, whose purchases have grown over the same period from £69 million (US$107 million) to £74 million (US$114 million).

The figures were unveiled by Minister for Environment & Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse ahead of his visit to Norway to discuss industry experiences with Scotland's key partner in aquaculture.

The Minister will discuss the shared commitment to the sustainability of a significant sector with the Norwegian Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen. He will meet with industry experts and key players in the aquaculture industry at Trondheim's AquaNor, one of the largest aquaculture trade shows, to discuss best practices and insights in meeting the growing demand for salmon from around the world.

Wheelhouse has also been invited to visit the state of the high capacity processing salmon plant SalMar and the processing plant in Froya with representatives from Scottish Sea Farms.

This Ministerial visit comes ahead of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Act (Scotland) coming into force in September. The legislation puts sustainable economic growth with due regard to the environment at the core of the industry and creates a joined up approach between wild and farmed fisheries in Scotland's natural marine environment.

In June, the First Minister officially opened Marine Harvest Scotland's £16 million (US$25 million) hatchery development at Lochailort, while the Scottish salmon farming industry has made record levels of investment with its £205 million (US$317 million) five-year commitment. As a further sign of investor confidence in the sector, Scottish Sea Farms recently announced a £2 million (US$3.1 million) investment in a new site at Loch Kishorn plus additional £5 million (US$7.7 million) working capital investment every two years.

"The aquaculture sector in Scotland is flourishing and the Scottish Government believes we now have the regulatory framework in place to help support the further growth of a sustainable and world-leading industry. In 2011 the industry was worth £588 million (US$908 million) to Scotland, helping underpin sustainable economic growth, particularly in our rural and coastal communities where the employment is very much valued. Production continues to rise and sustainable growth is forecast to continue in the years to come, which is great news for Scotland's future economic position," said minister Wheelhouse.

Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation pointed out, "We welcome the Minister's recognition of the importance of the salmon farming industry. The long term sustainability of Scottish salmon farming is internationally recognised and just this weekend a delegation from Canada visited Scottish Sea Farms in South Shian to see the high standards we operate to. The growing global demand for Scottish salmon is great news for jobs and communities in rural Scotland and we aim to continue working constructively with Government and Local Authorities to achieve growth and economic benefits in these areas."