Let’s be stronger at backing our economic winners 

Scotland has genuinely world-class industries, but we tend to undervalue our successes. In these uncertain economic times, we incline to worry more about our weaknesses than building on our strengths. 

One industry which suffers more than most in this respect is Scottish salmon farming, perhaps because production is in remote areas and consumption is so familiar to us.   

Yet Scottish salmon is no backwater industry. It is the UK’s leading food export, popular for its high quality, nutritional value and can be found on the shelves of supermarkets across Europe to the dinner plates of top restaurants from New York to Singapore.

According to a report from the consultancy BiGGAR Economics, Scotland’s salmon farming sector is a £1bn industry supporting over 10,000 jobs.

Like any economic activity that touches on the natural environment, salmon farming has its critics, but it is globally recognised for its standards of production. After all, it is in the interests of farmers to take the wellbeing of their fish, and wider marine life, very seriously, as this underpins the quality of their products – key to customer satisfaction.

The combined total footprint of salmon farms across Scotland is less than the size of Edinburgh Airport, and once a farm has been fallowed the environment rapidly returns to its previous state.

Salmon producers, and the wider supply chain, support a wide range of jobs. From apprenticeships for school leavers to research and development activities requiring scientists with PhDs, the average salary of jobs associated with salmon farming stands at £45,000.

Importantly, many workers associated with salmon farming live in rural, coastal and island areas, underpinning local communities with otherwise fragile economies. If Scotland does not support salmon farming, it is unclear how these jobs, in communities which have few alternative options for sustainable employment, would be replaced.

Here is an internationally competitive, innovative and community oriented economic success story that deserves our wholehearted support. Rather than look down on ourselves, let’s help Scottish salmon grow and leap forward.