Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2024
This report is based on the returns of an annual survey questionnaire sent to all active authorised fish farming businesses in Scotland during 2024. Statistics on employment, production and value are presented.
Executive Summary
These tables below summarise the results from the 2024 fish farm production survey (slight difference in these summary figures from figures in the main report are due to rounding).
| Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) | Units | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production | (tonnes) | 9,258 | 8,171 |
| Production for the table | (tonnes) | 8,793 | 7,695 |
| Production for restocking | (tonnes) | 465 | 476 |
| Number of staff employed | (number of people) | 136 | 106 |
| Mean productivity | (tonnes/person) | 68.1 | 77.1 |
| Number of ova laid down to hatch | (millions) | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Number of ova imported | (millions) | 2.2 | 2.2 |
In 2024, the production of rainbow trout decreased by 1,087 tonnes, a decrease of 12%, to 8,171 tonnes. Employment decreased by 30 staff (22%) and mean productivity increased to 77.1 tonnes per person. The number of ova laid down to hatch increased to 4.5 million and the number of ova imported remained the same at 2.2 million.
| Ova and smolts | Units | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of ova produced | (millions) | 56.0 | 55.7 |
| Number of ova laid down to hatch | (millions) | 74.7 | 89.5 |
| Number of ova exported | (millions) | 0 | 0 |
| Number of ova imported | (millions) | 40.6 | 54.9 |
| Number of smolts produced | (millions) | 51.5 | 44.6 |
| Number of smolts put to sea | (millions) | 48.8 | 45.8 |
| Number of staff employed | (number of people) | 305 | 280 |
| Mean productivity | (thousands of smolts/person) | 168.9 | 159.4 |
The production of ova decreased by 0.3 million in 2024 and the number of ova laid down to hatch increased by 14.8 million. No ova were exported in 2024 and the number of ova imported increased by 14.3 million from the 2023 figure. The number of smolts produced decreased by 6.9 million. In 2024 the number of staff employed decreased by 25 (8%) and the mean productivity decreased by 9,500 smolts per person.
| Production fish | Units | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production | (tonnes) | 150,949 | 192,000 |
| Production of year 0 salmon | (tonnes) | 90 | 174 |
| Production of grilse | (tonnes) | 64,854 | 66,995 |
| Production of pre-salmon | (tonnes) | 31,073 | 46,144 |
| Production of year 2 salmon | (tonnes) | 54,932 | 78,687 |
| Mean weight year 0 salmon | (kg) | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| Mean weight grilse | (kg) | 4.7 | 5.3 |
| Mean weight pre-salmon | (kg) | 4.5 | 5.2 |
| Mean weight year 2 salmon | (kg) | 5.9 | 5.9 |
| Number of staff employed | (number of people) | 1,480 | 1,362 |
| Mean productivity | (tonnes/person) | 102.0 | 141.0 |
Production tonnage increased by 41,051 tonnes (27%) with an increase in the mean harvest weight of year 0, grilse and pre-salmon. The mean harvest weight of year 2 salmon remained unchanged. Staff numbers decreased by 118 people (8%) and mean productivity increased to 141.0 tonnes per person.
| Survival (%) | Year 0 + 1 | Year 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 input year class | 50.4 | 18.3 | 68.7 |
| 2022 input year class | 37.6 | 24.2 | 61.8 |
The smolt survival rate for the 2022 input year class decreased to 61.8%. Mortality is included in the number of fish not harvested for human consumption, which also consists of fish which have escaped, been culled for production reasons, removed for sampling purposes, statutory culls or selected for broodstock production.
Other Species
Including brown/sea trout (Salmo trutta); halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus); lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus) and several species of wrasse (Labridae).
| Other species | Units | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production | (tonnes) | 24 | 26 |
| Number of staff employed | (full-time) | 26 | 20 |
| Number of staff employed | (part-time) | 11 | 8 |
| Number of ova laid down to hatch | (millions) | 6.9 | 0.01 |
| Number of ova imported | (millions) | 0 | 0 |
Some figures are excluded from this report as providing them would reveal production information from an individual company. Production for 2023 and 2024 excluded any halibut production. Number of ova laid down to hatch in 2023 and 2024 excluded any halibut ova laid down to hatch.
In 2024, the production of other species increased by two tonnes from the 2023 total, although this figure does not include halibut production. Overall, employment decreased by nine (24%) in 2024. There was a decrease in the number of ova laid down to hatch during 2024 and halibut ova laid down to hatch in 2024 were not included in the 2023 figure.
| Species | Number of reported incidents which could have led to an escape of farmed fish | Number of reported incidents which did lead to an escape of farmed fish | Number of fish escaped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow trout | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Atlantic salmon (freshwater stages) | 0 | 1 | 300 |
| Atlantic salmon (seawater stages) | 11 | 1 | 1 |
Escapes data from previous annual survey reports are available: Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2024, Supplementary Tables, Table 46.
Contact
Email: MD.Productionsurvey@gov.scot