Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2015
Report based on the returns of an annual survey questionnaire sent to all active authorised fish farming businesses.
Executive Summary
The tables below summarise the results from the 2015 fish farms annual production survey.
Rainbow Trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss)
| 2014 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production | (tonnes) | 5,882 | 8,588 |
| Production for the table | (tonnes) | 5,328 | 8,033 |
| Production for restocking | (tonnes) | 554 | 555 |
| Number of staff employed | 113 | 126 | |
| Mean productivity | (tonnes/person) | 52.1 | 68.2 |
| Number of ova laid down to hatch | (millions) | 11.0 | 12.1 |
| Number of ova imported | (millions) | 10.4 | 11.2 |
In 2015, the production of rainbow trout increased by 2,706 tonnes. Employment increased by 13 staff and mean productivity increased to 68.2 tonnes per person. The number of ova laid down to hatch increased by 1.1 million and the number of ova imported increased by 0.9 million.
Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar)
Smolts
| 2014 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of ova produced | (millions) | 33.5 | 11.6 |
| Number of ova laid down to hatch | (millions) | 70.8 | 68.2 |
| Number of ova exported | (millions) | 0 | 0.1 |
| Number of ova imported | (millions) | 58.9 | 59.7 |
| Number of smolts produced | (millions) | 45.0 | 44.6 |
| Number of smolts put to sea | (millions) | 48.1 | 45.5 |
| Number of staff employed | 309 | 294 | |
| Mean productivity (000s smolts/person) | 145.6 | 151.6 | |
The production of ova decreased by 21.9 million in 2015 and the number of ova laid down to hatch decreased by 2.6 million. A very small amount of ova were exported in 2015 (0.1 million) and the number of ova imported increased by 0.8 million from the 2014 figure. The number of smolts produced decreased by 0.4 million. In 2015 the number of staff decreased by 15 and mean productivity increased by 6 tonnes per person.
Production fish
| 2014 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production | (tonnes) | 179,022 | 171,722 |
| Production of 0-year fish | (tonnes) | 720 | 626 |
| Production of grilse | (tonnes) | 46,686 | 53,930 |
| Production of pre-salmon | (tonnes) | 55,311 | 60,182 |
| Production of salmon | (tonnes) | 76,305 | 56,984 |
| Mean fish weight 0-year | (kg) | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Mean fish weight grilse | (kg) | 5.2 | 4.8 |
| Mean fish weight pre-salmon | (kg) | 4.9 | 4.7 |
| Mean fish weight salmon | (kg) | 5.6 | 5.2 |
| Number of staff employed | 1,325 | 1,363 | |
| Mean productivity | tonnes/person | 135.1 | 126.0 |
Production tonnage decreased by 7,300 tonnes with an increase in the mean weight of 0-year fish but a decrease in the mean harvest weights of grilse, pre-salmon and salmon. Staff numbers increased by 38 and mean productivity decreased to 126.0 tonnes per person.
Smolt survival (percentage harvested)
| Survival (%) | Years 0+1 | Year 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 input year class | 52.0 | 33.4 | 85.4 |
| 2013 input year class | 49.6 | 26.7 | 76.3 |
The smolt survival rate for the 2013 input year class decreased to 76.3%.
Other Species
Including Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus); brown/sea trout ( Salmo trutta) ; halibut ( Hippoglossus hippoglossus) ; lumpsucker ( Cyclopterus lumpus) and several species of wrasse (Labridae)
| 2014 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production | (tonnes) | 119 a | 107 b |
| Number of staff employed | (full-time) | 29 | 35 |
| (part-time) | 20 | 15 | |
| Number of ova laid down to hatch | (millions) | 17.8 | 14.8 |
| Number of ova imported | (millions) | 1.1 | 0.6 |
Some figures are excluded from this report as providing them would reveal production information from individual companies.
a Excluding cod production.
b Excluding Arctic charr production.
In 2015, the production of other species decreased by 12 tonnes from the 2014 total. Overall, employment increased by one person in 2015. There was a decrease in the number of ova laid down to hatch.
Number of Confirmed Escape Incidents from Fish Farms Notified to the Scottish Government
| Species | Number of reported incidents which could have led to an escape of farmed fish | Number of reported incidents which did lead to an escape of farmed fish | Number of fish escaped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow trout | 0 | 1 | 2,091 |
| Atlantic salmon (freshwater stages) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Atlantic salmon (seawater stages) | 1 | 5 | 16,005 |
Contact
Email: Lorna Munro, lorna.munro@gov.scot
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