Salmon sales hit £1.5bn in the UK as demand soars

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Preparing Spicy Salmon Bowl with Rice, Carrots, Cucumber and Avocado

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Sales volumes have increased by 8.1% this year to 77,508 tonnes, which Salmon Scotland said reflected ‘strong demand and consumer confidence in Scottish salmon’

Salmon sales in the UK have hit £1.5bn as demand has increased, accounting for a third of all fish sales in the UK.

Sales volumes have increased by 8.1% this year to 77,508 tonnes which Salmon Scotland said reflected “strong demand and consumer confidence in Scottish salmon”.

Value sales also rose by 7.2%, in the 12 months to August, which was almost double that of the wider fish category at 3.7%.

Cod recorded the second highest sales value, at around £510m, but volumes declined 1.5%.

“The popularity of Scottish salmon keeps growing, both here and abroad,” said Tavish Scott, chief executive of Scottish Salmon, who said consumers were opting for the fish due to its health benefits and sustainability.

“Shoppers continue to trust its quality, with Scottish salmon renowned for its superior taste and responsible farming practices,” he added. “This consumer demand is great news for the nation’s health and the economy, supporting thousands of jobs across Scotland’s rural and coastal communities.”

The UK’s largest food export, the trade body also said Scottish salmon was “on track” to break the £1bn international sales barrier “for the first time”.

Scottish Salmon’s announcement follows the Scottish government’s latest fish farm production survey, published earlier this month. The report showed there had been a dramatic increase in the Atlantic salmon production, by 27% to 192,000 tonnes, in addition to a near 10% decline in staff directly employed in it.