Farmed salmon contributed £187 million to the economy of Scotland’s Western Isles in 2024, according to figures from industry body Salmon Scotland.
The value reflects sales from farming operations in the islands, which support 420 full-time jobs — making salmon farming one of the largest private sector employers in the region.
The figures come in the wake of a Scottish parliamentary rural affairs committee report, which called for stronger regulation of the sector. Some stakeholders have pushed for a moratorium on new farm sites due to environmental concerns.
The Western Isles also saw a setback in August 2024, when Bakkafrost closed its Marybank processing plant near Stornoway, resulting in the loss of approximately 80 jobs and the removal of all local processing capacity.
Despite these challenges, demand for Scottish salmon remains strong globally. According to the Gazette, industry exports rose by 45 percent to £844 million in the 2024 calendar year, driven by growth in markets such as France, the US, and Asia.
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said the figures reflected both resilience and global demand: “It’s a testament to the hard work of farmers in the Western Isles and across rural Scotland that our fish is once again the UK’s largest food export.”
Scottish Government Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes called the sector “very important to our economy,” while UK Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill said salmon was “the jewel in the crown of Scotland’s world-class produce.”