China takes to Scottish seafood

IN 2013, global sales of Scottish salmon amounted to £571 million, catapulting it to the second spot of the UK’s top food exports, just next to chocolate and confectionery. Sales further improved in the first six months of 2014, and will likely be higher compared to the year before, according to a report in The Independent.

Scottish seafood companies have been successful in the export business, and are looking to further develop their markets in Asia. Last year, companies that attended the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo in Qingdao, saw opportunities for pelagic fish such as mackerel, said the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation.

In 2013, exports of UK mackerel to China amounted to 1770 tonnes valued at £2.49 million. Meanwhile, Scottish salmon exports to the same desitnation reached £50 million, according to the Organisation’s chief executive, Scott Landsburgh.