Salmon farming set to expand after record £489m haul

NEARLY 90 per cent of salmon-farming companies expect to take on extra staff in the next five years after the value of the industry leapt to an all-time high of £489 million last year, according to statistics published today.

The figure was up 44 per cent on 2010’s total and would be even higher when the impact on the wider supply chain is taken into account, the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) said.

Confidence among fish farmers is also on the rise, with the report suggesting that 86 per cent are planning to increase production.

The industry created 272 jobs last year, a 13 per cent rise that takes the total number of people employed directly in the sector to more than 2,000, according to the report.

Expenditure on services and supplies rose by 22 per cent to £435m, while capital expenditure by salmon farmers hit an all-time high of £47.6m.

Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of SSPO, said: “The new economic report shows that salmon farming continues to be an expanding part of our economy.

“Direct employment is only part of the picture as there are many more thousands of jobs in the supply chain. The expenditure on the immediate suppliers and services to the sector also recorded a massive leap.

“At a time of slow growth in the global economy, the Scottish salmon sector continues to be a source of major capital investment and new opportunities.”

Landsburgh added: “From speaking to employers, it is clear that there is a desire to increase job creation. This is great news for the Highlands and Islands and the wider Scottish economy and we must work with government to maintain the high levels of confidence in our industry.”