© Mowi
Gross value added (GVA) rose 30 percent from £362 (€420.1) million between 2020 and 2021, while employment has risen 20 percent over the last decade - according to the Scottish Government’s ‘marine economy statistics’ report.
It has also revealed the important contribution Scottish salmon makes, as it details salmon aquaculture contributes to 96 percent of the marine economy sector.
Marine economy performance breakdown
The entire marine economy generated £4.5 (€5.2) billion in 2021, which is still dominated by oil and gas (£1.88 or €2.18 billion) although this industry has decreased by 37 percent over the decade.
This is followed by marine tourism, £494 million (€572.9), then aquaculture, while fishing contributed £321 (€372.5) million to the Scottish economy and shipbuilding generated £403 (€467.6) million.
The figures for the salmon sector do not include the wider supply chain, which also adds hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy.
There are around 2,500 direct jobs in Scottish salmon and around 10,000 indirect jobs.
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, stated in a press release: “The hard work of Scotland’s salmon farmers in the Highlands and islands directly generates £1.3 (€1.5) million every day for Scotland’s economy, fuelled by increasing demand for our nutritious fish at home and abroad.
“Government figures show our sector is the third biggest in the entire marine economy – larger now than fishing and shipbuilding. We can deliver further sustainable growth with the continued support of government and more streamlined regulation, ensuring the extraordinary success story of Scottish salmon remains something we can all be incredibly proud of.”
