Standards
At the forefront of good practice
Over a period of four decades, the Scottish industry has developed from small scale, almost experimental, beginnings to become a large and important Scottish industry, as large in economic scale as the country’s fishing industry and the single most important sector of Scottish food exports.
Allied to this development has been the increasing recognition of the importance of maintaining high industry standards. These go well beyond those of the basic regulatory requirements and ensure not only that the industry continues in its shared development of good practice, but also that Scottish aquaculture products are positioned and widely perceived as meeting the high quality production standards consistent with current and future sustainable development.
As well as subscribing to the Code of Good Practice, most salmon farmers in Scotland are certified under various quality and production schemes.
Salmon tops the RSPCA's Freedom Food chart
- Scottish farmed salmon topped the RSPCA's Freedom Food chart in 2009, with an impressive 60% of production participating in the stringent animal welfare scheme.
- The higher welfare scheme for farmed animals from the leading animal charity covers every stage of a farm animal's life, including husbandry, stocking density, handling, transportation and harvesting. Salmon is by far the largest sector to have invested in the scheme