Sales of Scottish salmon to other countries totalled £844 million last year, according to statistics released by the UK Government. These export numbers show a dramatic increase of 45% compared to last year and smashed the previous record set in 2019 at £618 million.

This year Scottish salmon was exported to 48 countries and remains the UK’s top food export, with the largest export by volume passing through Heathrow Airport. France was the most prolific purchaser of Scottish salmon, spending £462 million. The next largest purchaser was the United States, at £225 million. Significant pockets of growth were in the Asian markets, particularly China and Taiwan, which saw growth of more than 60%.

Photo by Valeria Boltneva

Salmon Scotland credits the success of these sales to survival rates on salmon farms reaching a four-year high of 82.3 per cent in 2024, following multi-million pound tech investments to enhance animal welfare. Tavish Scott, a former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader who is now chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said the increase shows the “global demand” for the product. He called for “better, not less regulation” from governments, comments which follow the release of a report by WildFish accusing the Scottish salmon industry of greenwashing operations and misleading consumers.

Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill recognised salmon as the “jewel in the crown” of Scotland’s food industry, and pledged the government’s support to the industry.  The sector directly employs around 2,500 people in coastal communities, with an additional 10,000 jobs associated with the supply chain.