Farmed salmon cements its position as UK's most popular fish
Sales are worth more than three times those of second-placed prawns
Salmon is the UK’s most popular fish, with the latest figures showing sales up 9.1% in a 12-month period from the middle of June 2023.
Sales of fresh salmon hit more than £1.2 billion in the period, accounting for over a quarter (28%) of all fish bought in the UK. Average price per kilo was £22.25, up by 2.2% from the preceding period.
The volume of salmon sold in the UK was 54,342 tonnes, a 1.7% increase compared to the volume sold in the preceding 12-month period, but lower than the 60,160 tonnes sold in the 12 months to mid-June 2022.
The year-on-year growth for salmon to mid-June 2024 outpaced the 4.8% rise recorded for all fish. In the chilled seafood sector, salmon maintained its leading position, holding 48% of the value share among the top 10 chilled species and selling around four times more than warm water prawns, its closest competitor.
Smoked salmon – a Christmas staple – makes up 25.2% of salmon sales, with demand expected to rise further during the festive season.
Trade body Salmon Scotland said the figures – which include imported salmon -reflect strong demand and consumer confidence in Scottish salmon.
Separately, exports of Scottish salmon are on track for a record-breaking calendar year in terms of value, with third-quarter data showing international sales up 11% to £191m between June and September, bringing the nine-month total to £622m.
This surpasses the £618 million full-year total from 2019, the highest on record. Growth has been driven by increased exports to key markets including France, the United States, and China, with Taiwan and Singapore rounding out the top five.
Each quarter of 2024 has seen rises in both volume and sales, with April-to-June recording the largest growth.
Most popular by far
Scottish salmon, farmed in five areas across Scotland’s west coast and northern islands, remains the UK’s largest food export.
Salmon Scotland chief executive Tavish Scott said: “Scottish salmon’s success as the UK’s biggest food export is well known, but salmon is also by far the most popular fish here at home.
“The popularity of Scottish salmon continues to soar, both at home and abroad, and we are heading for a record-breaking year.
“This reflects the strong consumer confidence in Scottish salmon, which remains as robust as ever.”
Trout and mussels
Sales of fresh trout in the UK were worth £23,235,000 to mid-June 2024, an increase of 10.5% over the previous period. The average price was £19.65 per kilo, an increase of 11.6%.
The value of fresh mussels sold in the UK in the 12 months to mid-June 2024 was £22,547,000, a drop of 0.7% compared to the 12-month period before that. Volume was 3,881 tonnes, fractionally less than in the preceding period, and the average price per kilo was £5.81.
