Production decline in 2007
The total production of Atlantic salmon during 2007 was 129,930 tonnes, a decrease of 1,917 tonnes (1.4%) on the 2006 production. This slight decrease in production shows that the industry continues to consolidate and stabilise at a manageable production level, the survey stated.
The estimated harvest forecast for 2008 is 136,775 tonnes, an increase of 5.0% on the 2007 total.With the production tonnage decreasing in 2007, the number of sites in production decreased from 252 to 247.The trend towards concentrating production in larger sites was maintained, with 69.8% of production being concentrated in the sites producing over 1,000 tonnes per annum.
The number of companies registered and actively producing salmon in 2007 was 28, a decrease of four on the 2006 figure. Overall production was dominated by 10 companies in 2007, which between them accounted for over 93% of the salmon production in Scotland.
