Several Scottish hospitality businesses have removed farmed salmon from their menus due to animal welfare and sustainability concerns.
Edinburgh-based luxury hotel and restaurant The Witchery and Contini restaurant group have taken the decision, spearheading the latest wave of businesses signing up to wild salmon charity WildFish’s Off The Table campaign.
The additions bring the number of Scottish-based businesses and chefs signed up to the initiative, which aims to remove farmed salmon from all hospitality menus, to 55, with the total figure exceeding 300 worldwide.
“Protecting our wild salmon is not only about safeguarding one of Scotland’s most treasured species, but also about preserving the health of our rivers, coastlines and the communities that depend upon them,” said James Thomson, owner of The Witchery.
Thomson has also signed up the hotel’s sister property Prestonfield House, home to fine-dining restaurant Rhubarb.
“Supporting producers who work in harmony with nature has always been central to our philosophy, and we are proud to support the Off The Table campaign,” he continued.
Victor & Carina Contini Restaurants director Carina Contini added: “Current rearing practices are endangering native wild stocks and we felt it was the correct decision to stop selling.”
Sondhya Gupta, Off The Table campaign manager, said the move underscored the growing awareness from within the hospitality sector of the harm being done to Scotland’s wild salmon populations and environment by farmed salmon.
“The message from these leading restaurants is clear: farmed salmon is a nasty stain on Scotland’s wonderful food scene, and it has no place on our menus,” she added.
However, the Scottish salmon sector has since hit back, with a spokesperson for Salmon Scotland asserting none of the establishments had visited “a sea farm or spoken to any fish farmer”.
“They would be most welcome to ask any questions they have. We have asked owner James Thomson for a meeting and await his reply,” the spokesperson said.
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