Scottish fish farm production survey 2017
This report is based on the returns of an annual survey questionnaire sent to all active authorised fish farming businesses in Scotland.
Executive Summary
The tables below summarise the results from the 2017 fish farms annual production survey.
Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
| 2016 |
2017 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production |
(tonnes) |
8,096 |
7,637 |
| Production for the table |
(tonnes) |
7,437 |
6,997 |
| Production for restocking |
(tonnes) |
659 |
640 |
| Number of staff employed |
121 |
132 |
|
| Mean productivity |
(tonnes/person) |
66.9 |
57.9 |
| Number of ova laid down to hatch |
(millions) |
9.9 |
7.0 |
| Number of ova imported |
(millions) |
9.6 |
6.5 |
In 2017, the production of rainbow trout decreased by 459 tonnes. Employment increased by 11 staff and mean productivity decreased to 57.9 tonnes per person. The number of ova laid down to hatch decreased by 2.9 million and the number of ova imported decreased by 3.1 million.
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Smolts
| 2016 |
2017 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of ova produced |
(millions) |
13.7 |
12.6 |
| Number of ova laid down to hatch |
(millions) |
64.3 |
65.7 |
| Number of ova exported |
(millions) |
0.4 |
0.3 |
| Number of ova imported |
(millions) |
49.4 |
57.9 |
| Number of smolts produced |
(millions) |
42.9 |
46.2 |
| Number of smolts put to sea |
(millions) |
43.0 |
46.1 |
| Number of staff employed |
294 |
291 |
|
| Mean productivity (000’s smolts/person) |
145.9 |
158.6 |
The production of ova decreased by 1.1 million in 2017 and the number of ova laid down to hatch increased by 1.4 million. A very small amount of ova were exported in 2017 (0.3 million) and the number of ova imported increased by 8.5 million from the 2016 figure. The number of smolts produced increased by 3.3 million. In 2017 the number of staff decreased by three and mean productivity increased by 12,700 smolts per person.
Production fish
| 2016 |
2017 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production |
(tonnes) |
162,817 |
189,707 |
| Production of 0-year fish |
(tonnes) |
333 |
0 |
| Production of grilse |
(tonnes) |
59,853 |
68,116 |
| Production of pre-salmon |
(tonnes) |
51,310 |
58,329 |
| Production of salmon |
(tonnes) |
51,321 |
63,262 |
| Mean fish weight 0-year |
(kg) |
2.9 |
- |
| Mean fish weight grilse |
(kg) |
4.4 |
5.0 |
| Mean fish weight pre-salmon |
(kg) |
4.6 |
4.8 |
| Mean fish weight salmon |
(kg) |
4.7 |
5.7 |
| Number of staff employed |
1,486 |
1,431 |
|
| Mean productivity |
tonnes/person |
109.6 |
132.6 |
Production tonnage increased by 26,890 tonnes with an increase in the mean harvest weight of grilse, pre-salmon and salmon. There were no 0-year fish harvested during 2017. Staff numbers decreased by 55 and mean productivity increased to 132.6 tonnes per person.
Smolt survival (percentage harvested)
| Survival (%) |
Years 0+1 |
Year 2 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 input year class |
50.6 |
22.7 |
73.3 |
| 2015 input year class |
54.7 |
24.4 |
79.1 |
The smolt survival rate for the 2015 input year class increased to 79.1%.
Other Species
Including brown/sea trout (Salmo trutta); halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus); lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus) and several species of wrasse (Labridae).
| 2016 |
2017 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production |
(tonnes) |
122 |
91a |
| Number of staff employed |
(full-time) |
43 |
45 |
(part-time) |
20 |
17 |
|
| Number of ova laid down to hatch |
(millions) |
16.9 |
4.7b |
| Number of ova imported |
(millions) |
3.2 |
1.2 |
Some figures are excluded from this report as providing them would reveal production information from an individual company.
aExcluding halibut production.
bExcluding halibut ova laid down to hatch.
In 2017, the production of other species decreased by 31 tonnes from the 2016 total, although this figure does not include halibut production. Overall, employment decreased by one person in 2017. There was a decrease in the number of ova laid down to hatch but again any halibut ova laid down to hatch were excluded.
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 |
216 |
| Atlantic salmon (freshwater stages) |
0 |
1 | 163 |
| Atlantic salmon (seawater stages) |
6 |
5 | 30,009 |
| Other Species (from sites rearing seawater Atlantic salmon) |
0 |
2 | 776 |
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