"Scotland to put salmon on China's dinner tables "

Article

China and Scotland’s Governments have devised a deal to unprecedentedly allow Scottish salmon exports into China.

Scotland's aquaculture industry bears 6,000 domestic jobs worth GBP 500 million (EUR 601.3 million) to the economy and exports worth GBP 300 million (EUR 360.8 million).

Demand for salmon and salmon products in China is sizeable at more than 150 per cent of Scotland’s total output. Demand for Atlantic salmon is grew by 42 per cent to 8,000 tonnes in 2009 alone.

Most of this demand has been supplied by Norway.

The new deal between the governments is for Chinese food safety group AQSIQ to approve various Scottish products.

"This is a very welcome announcement from China that will boost sales of a top quality and sought after Scottish seafood product,” Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said. "It will further strengthen an already successful business sector which has positively weathered the economic downturn...

Slow boat to China for salmon

13 January 2011

THE SHETLAND salmon industry has welcomed a trade deal between Scotland and China, saying it could help maintain high prices over the next few years while production expands by more than a third.

The price of salmon has been at an all time high of around £4 a kilo since disease problems in Chile brought US buyers to Scotland and Norway looking to feed their appetite for farmed fish.

Meanwhile growing demand in Europe, particularly from France, shows no signs of abating.

The Scottish industry had already been planning to expand current production of around 140,000 tonnes - half of which is exported - by a further 50,000 tonnes over the next few years.

However such increases will struggle to meet potential demand from such an enormous market as China, which is already importing 217,000 tonnes of salmon products every year – 150 per cent of total Scottish production.

Last year Scottish salmon exports to China rose by 42 per cent to more than 8,000 tonnes...