2023 saw Scottish salmon production fall 11%

The Scottish salmon industry’s woes last year have been highlighted in official statistics that show that farmed Atlantic salmon production fell by more than 18,000 tonnes in 2023 to 150,949, a year on year decline of 11%.

The Scottish Government’s Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2023, published today, also shows that the total number of smolts produced in 2023 decreased by 3.6 million (7%) to 51.5 million.

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.

In 2023, the total number of staff directly employed in salmon production was 1,480 staff, a decrease of 28 staff compared with 2022. The staffing figures refer to production of Atlantic salmon in seawater and do not include staff involved with processing or marketing activities.

The picture was more positive for rainbow trout. Production in this sector increased by 6% in 2023 to 9,258 tonnes. This is the highest level of rainbow trout production recorded in Scotland.

Brown and sea trout production decreased to 16 tonnes in 2023.