Rainbow trout ‘could disappear from UK tables’

British rainbow trout could disappear from the nation’s tables within a generation as customers shun it in favour of salmon, fishmongers have warned.

Rainbow trout could disappear from British dining tables in less than two decades as consumers opt for salmon. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

They warned that should this trend continue, the nation will have stopped eating the fish completely within 17 years.

There are no known self-maintaining populations of rainbow trout in Scotland, and very few in England. However, more than 300 Scottish stillwaters are stocked with rainbow trout, which were first brought to Britain in 1884 from North America.

Huw Thomas, Fisheries and Aquaculture Manager at Morrisons, said: “The last few years has seen a rise in imports of international freshwater fish species, such as Tilapia and Pangasius. Many customers have also switched to either white fish such as cod or salmon. This has left rainbow trout out in the cold.”

Rainbow trout is one of Britain’s two commonly sold freshwater fish, alongside salmon. It has been widely available from UK supermarkets since the 1960s and was one of the nation’s most popular fish dishes in the 1970s.