Scots Salmon Production Booming

UK - Scottish salmon production is booming again after bad publicity and falling prices in the past two years forced the industry's first contraction in more than a decade.

The head of the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation, Sid Patten, said yesterday that growing demand had helped salmon farming in Scotland recover from recent setbacks.

"Demand is increasing at a very good rate. The industry is really quite buoyant and has been for the last nine months or so," Patten said.

Scotland is the world's third-largest farmed salmon producer, behind Norway and Chile. The industry grew many-fold throughout the 1990s, with production rising from 36,101 tonnes in 1992 to 169,736 tonnes in 2003 as the Scottish salmon brand acquired premium status.

However, the rapid growth was abruptly halted in 2004 when production dropped to just over 158,000 tonnes, according to the Scottish Executive.

Although figures have not been completed for 2005, Patten said the results would be similar to those recorded in 2004. Patten said he believed output was "fairly level".

Source: The Scotsman