The Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey for 2023 has showcased a difficult year for the sector as expected, as the industry experienced its highest annual mortality rate since 2001.

The report, published by the Scottish cabinet secretary for rural affairs, highlighted last year's dire farming performance, with only 68.7% of the 2021 smolt year class making it to human consumption, down significantly from 75.9% a year earlier.

The total salmon yield for 2023 fell to 150,949 metric tons, also marking an 11% decline compared to 2022’s output.

This decline reflects ongoing challenges in the sector, including environmental pressures from warming oceans and disease outbreaks, which have impacted salmon survival rates in recent years. While production from seawater pens continues to dominate, efficiency in these pens has decreased, dropping from 6.7 kg/m³ in 2022 to 5.8 kg/m³.

Employment in the sector has also slightly declined, with 1,480 staff in 2023, a reduction of 28 positions from the previous year. The total number of smolts produced by the sector last year also decreased by 7% y-o-y to 51.5 million.

On the other hand, the survey showed promising figures for rainbow trout, as annual harvests increased 6% y-o-y to 9,258t, the highest volume ever recorded in Scotland.

Sector recovery underway in 2024

According to representative body Salmon Scotland, however, the situation has markedly improved in the last nine months, with production up by 15% in the first half of 2024 to 86,600t, compared to 75,000t at the same stage of 2023.

The association attributes a nearly £1 billion ($1.3bn) investment in fish health and welfare for this year's marked improvement in survival rates.

The association said in a press release ahead of the survey that new figures report a 98.18% survival rate for salmon in September -- traditionally one of the most challenging months of the year for farmers -- which marks a substantial improvement over 2023.