The EU accounted for 61 per cent of the volume of global Scottish salmon exports.
Scottish salmon exports recovered to near-record figures in 2021, according to new figures released by the UK Government on Monday.
Cementing its place as the UK’s biggest food export, salmon overseas sales increased to £614 million – up 36 per cent compared to 2020 and only marginally below the £618million recorded in 2019.
Exports were shipped to 52 different markets last year, with growth across 10 of the top 20 markets.
France led the recovery (up £119million to £304million), followed by the USA as the second main market (up £47million to £152million) and China (up £31million to £45million).
The EU accounted for 61 per cent of the volume of global Scottish salmon exports.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon commented, “Scottish salmon plays a vital role in our food and drink success story as the UK’s biggest food export, and these figures demonstrate the growing, global appetite for this nutritious and low carbon food source.
“This is testament to our resilient and hard-working aquaculture sector. The Scottish Government and Food Standards Scotland have also collaborated and supported the industry with new certification requirements to the EU, including setting up and staffing export hubs.
“We will continue to support businesses in the aquaculture sector as well as safeguard our marine environment as part of our green recovery and transition to net zero for future generations to enjoy and make a living from.”
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland said, “For exports to recover to near record-levels after such a difficult economic period during the pandemic is testament to the hard work and dedication of farmers to sustainable growth in the face of increased costs.
“Maintaining production during the run-up to the festive period was achieved through extensive work done by a committed workforce as labour supply remained tight within the processing sector.
“But we must also be aware that our Scandinavian counterparts are growing faster and selling more salmon, so it is imperative that government enables a regulatory framework that is both transparent and efficient to ensure that Scottish salmon retains its place as the key flag-bearer for quality exports from Scotland.”
