Exclusive:Did you know your salmon is farmed? Poll shows 41 per cent confused over origin of Scottish salmon

The industry claim survey results show consumers are already well aware they are buying farmed salmon.

A poll commissioned by an animal rights group has shown more than 40 per cent of consumers mistakenly believe the salmon they are buying in supermarkets is wild rather than farmed.

Producers of Scottish salmon have been able to drop the word “farmed” from the front of their packaging after government lawyers argued it was unnecessary and pejorative.

The government amended the protected geographical indication (PGI) of “Scottish farmed salmon” to “Scottish salmon” last year, after lobbying from the industry.

The salmon farming industry said Animal Equality UK’s survey showed consumers are already well aware they are buying farmed salmon.

Animal activist group Animal Equality UK said this is misleading customers on the quality and origin of the salmon products.

It commissioned a YouGov poll, which found 41 per cent of consumers mistakenly believe that wild Scottish salmon is available in supermarkets when, in fact, there is none, the group claimed.

Salmon Scotland, which represents the salmon sector north of the border, pointed out the results showed 68 per cent of customers already know the salmon on the shelves is farmed.

A recent survey which involved 200 participants, led by Professor Amitav Chakravarti, who is independent from any university, found consumers were more likely to associate “Scottish salmon” with being “wild-caught of higher quality, more nutritious, fresher, tastier and more sustainable compared to ‘Scottish farmed salmon’.”

Professor Chakravarti, who specialises in marketing, said: “Our data shows that when words like ‘farmed’ are removed from labels like 'Scottish farmed salmon', consumers make incorrect assumptions about the product’s origin and quality. Simply omitting this crucial detail led people to believe the item was of higher quality and even justified paying a higher price. This change in labelling misleads consumers rather than informing them, ultimately harming public understanding of the products they buy.

“Altering the label does not alter the production method—the animals are still confined in farms. The only difference is that consumers will now be less aware of this reality."

Abigail Penny, executive director of Animal Equality UK, said: “The Government’s own barrister admitted in court that the term ‘farmed’ can be seen as negative and ‘pejorative’ - and rightly so. Farmed animals endure immense suffering, including migratory salmon, who are cruelly confined in underwater cages, denied the ability to swim freely as nature intended.”

She added: “Misleading the public erodes trust, and honest labelling isn’t just good practice – it is what consumers deserve.”

A spokesperson for Salmon Scotland, which represents the salmon sector in Scotland, said: “This is a boomerang attack by Animal Equality UK, an extreme lobbying organisation that wants to ban all animal farming across the UK.

“Their polling shows the vast majority — 68 per cent — of people already know Scottish salmon is farm-raised.

“Their survey also shows consumers buy Scottish salmon because of its quality, freshness, price, and taste.

“Last year’s naming update reflects what retailers and customers already called it.

“Most packs already say ‘Scottish salmon’, and ‘farmed’ is still on the back with the country of origin.

“Consumers can have confidence that the Scottish salmon in their basket is farmed to world-leading welfare and environmental standards.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “Geographical Indication status provides consumers with confidence in the products they are buying and their authenticity.

“While the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) name has changed to better reflect the name consumers recognise, mandatory labelling requirements means all farmed salmon must also be clearly labelled as farmed.”

For those wishing to only buy wild salmon, the government said “Scottish Wild Salmon” remains a product name that is exclusively for use on products that meet that specification and comes from verified producers. Mandatory label information provides further detail on product provenance.