With the publication of Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2009 results, Environment Minister, Roseanna Cunningham said that salmon dominates fish farm production in Scotland and underpins the growth potential of the sector. He states that the rise of 12 percent in production of Scottish farmed salmon is to be welcomed and reflects the success of ‘A Fresh Start’ the Scottish Government’s Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture.
It is good to see that Scotland continues to be the largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the EU, producing over 144,000 tonnes in 2009. But the main reason behind such a rise in the production is the value of salmon in 2009 rose by 23 percent with a new estimated value of 412 million pounds. It indicates that Scottish farmed salmon can be a high quality, high yield product at the heart of an industry that is vital to many rural communities.
The growth justifies the efforts of the government to provide a positive regulatory framework for this sector. The growth also increases job opportunities as across Scotland more than 1,000 people are employed full-time in the fish farm sector. The Scottish Government continues to have great confidence in the future of the fish farming sector, and Aquaculture continues to be a growing and increasingly important industry to the Scottish economy.
