Scottish salmon leaps forward
In the first 5 months of 2013 the value of exports was £150 million compared with a value of £132 million for the same period in 2012.
The largest export market was to the United States which has grown in value over the same period from £69 million to £74 million.
The figures were unveiled by Minister for Environment & Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse ahead of his visit to Norway to discuss industry experiences with Scotland’s key partner in aquaculture.
The Minister will discuss the shared commitment to the sustainability of a significant sector with the Norwegian Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen. He will meet with industry experts and key players in the aquaculture industry at Trondheim’s AquaNor, one of the largest aquaculture trade shows, to discuss best practices and insights in meeting the growing demand for salmon from around the world.
Mr Wheelhouse has also been invited to visit the state of the art high capacity processing plant SalMar salmon farm and processing plant on Froya with representatives from Scottish Sea Farms.
This Ministerial visit comes ahead of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act coming into force in September. The legislation puts sustainable economic growth with due regard to the environment at the core of the industry and creates a joined up approach between wild and farmed fisheries in Scotland’s natural marine environment.
“The Aquaculture and Fisheries Act, having been passed by the Scottish Parliament in May this year, will also help ensure the effective management of farmed and wild fisheries to maximise their combined contribution to the growth of the sector with due regard to the wider marine environment.
“I look forward to taking this forward in practice as chair of the Ministerial Group for Sustainable Aquaculture which will do vital collaborative work among Scottish Government, regulators, stakeholders and scientists to further refine technical standards and to manage the interactions between farmed and wild fisheries to ensure sustainable use of our much valued marine environment.”
