Scotland’s salmon production dropped 18 percent in 2022

The recently released Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey has found the country's salmon-farming sector had lower production in 2022 compared to 2021. 

The survey, released 4 October, found the Scottish salmon industry farmed 169,194 metric tons (MT) of salmon in 2022. That total is a decrease of 36,199 MT, or 18 percent, compared to 2021. However, 2021 was also a record-breaking year for the country’s salmon farmers with 205,393 MT of production – only the second time in the country’s history it broke 200,000 MT. 

The survey also highlighted that in 2022, the average harvest weight of salmon in each year-class decreased. Scotland harvested 117,901 MT of salmon in the first year in 2022 at a mean harvest weight of 4.6 kilograms; and 51,158 MT of salmon in year two with a mean harvest weight of 5.2 kilograms. That’s compared to the first year mean harvest weight of 4.9 kilograms and second year mean weight of 5.7 kilograms in 2021.

Salmon smolt production in the country increased to 55.1 million smolt, an increase of 3.9 million, or 8 percent, compared to 2021.

As the country’s overall salmon production decreased, the production of rainbow trout increased slightly. The country produced 8,757 MT of rainbow trout in 2022, the highest level ever recorded in Scotland.  

A separate report delivered by Salmon Scotland indicates that farm raised salmon stood a better chance of surviving in September 2023 than they did in September 2022. The organization said that the survival rate of farmed salmon was above 96.5 percent, compared to the 95.3 percent rate recorded in September 2022.

The improvements were related to improvements in mitigation efforts to boost animal welfare as climate change continues to challenge farmers, Salmon Scotland said. In 2022, microscopic jellyfish blooms posed problems for salmon farmers, but early warning systems allowed millions of salmon to be moved out of harms way in 2023.

Photo courtesy of richardjohnson/Shutterstock