Scottish Salmon Secures Protected Legal Status to Prevent Food Fraud
In a move to combat food fraud and protect the reputation of Scottish salmon, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has approved a new protected geographical indication (PGI) for farmed Scottish salmon. This decision will ensure that only salmon from specific regions in Scotland can be labeled as “Scottish salmon”.
The new designation will specify that farmed Scottish salmon must come from the coastal regions of mainland Scotland, Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland Isles. This replaces the previous generic label of “Scottish farmed salmon”, which was introduced when wild Scottish salmon was still available in supermarkets.
Wild salmon stocks have significantly declined over the years due to various factors such as exploitation, habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and the impact of salmon farms themselves. Intensive salmon farming has been linked to the spread of diseases and sea lice to wild fish, as well as interbreeding between farmed and wild populations.
Despite these challenges, Scottish salmon remains the UK’s largest food export, with international sales reaching £581 million last year, primarily driven by demand in France. The trade body for Scotland’s salmon industry, Salmon Scotland, believes that the new PGI designation will prevent producers from misrepresenting their product as “Scottish salmon” if it does not meet the specified criteria.
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, emphasized the importance of protecting the premium reputation of Scottish salmon from food fraud. He highlighted the global recognition of farm-raised Scottish salmon as the best in the world and praised the efforts of Scotland’s salmon farmers in meeting the growing demand for their product.
Official figures indicate that the catch for wild Scottish salmon hit a record low in 2023, underscoring the importance of sustainable practices in preserving Scotland’s iconic salmon industry.