Scottish salmon sector aims to increase production

The Scottish salmon sector currently produces around 120,000 tons of salmon a year. However, Sid Patten, chief executive of the SSPO, told FishfarmingXpert that the aim is to take production back to peak levels achieved a few years ago, when the Scottish industry produced 160,000 tons of salmon per year. “We do believe that it is achievable to produce up to 200,000 tons,” he added. Patten said there were great opportunities for growth in the UK market, as well as in Europe, and that he was confident that an increase in production would be sustainable in the long term. But he underlined that to progress, it was important to ensure that Scotland remained an attractive choice for investors. He believed a more in-depth debate on the streamlining of the current regulatory framework would be crucial. “This will improve the competitiveness of the sector and help it to realise its potential in what is a high growth, global industry,” he added.