Salmon Scotland is the trade body for the UK’s No 1 food export. Our sector dispatches 100,000 tonnes of Scottish salmon to 50 countries around the world. We have achieved 36% growth in value in 2021. W e are an export success story for Scotland and UK plc despite the Covid pandemic and the UK leaving the European Union’s single trading market on January 1st 2021. We sell into the UK retail market based on Scottish salmon’s nutritional, healthy advantages and a significantly lower carbon footprint that beef, lamb or even free range chicken.
We use these facts with government and our wider stakeholders in building the case for sustainable growth – greater biomass grown in Scotland based on solid animal husbandry , farming innovation , acute regulatory oversight and international certification of our businesses . Science, evidence and data underpin Salmon Scotland’s advocacy for our members.
World population growth, the UN’s desire for protein production to be increasingly marine based and the ever altering political environment within the UK, create opportunities and challenges.
Our fundamental approach is to have government, communities and stakeholders understand what we do, why and how we involve them. We show and tell. We use school career days, supply chain events and farm open initiatives. The message is simple – we welcome people who want to learn, ask questions and probe how we look after fish. Be that a Prime Minister, a local councillor or the Head Teacher of the local community school. Never lose the politicians. Keep local people actively interested. And front up to the media, on social channels and with opinion formers. We have so much to be proud of as a sector both in Scotland and around the globe.