Record Mussel Output Highlights Scottish Shellfish Industry’s Growth in 2024

Scotland’s shellfish farming sector has achieved a remarkable milestone in 2024, as evidenced by the recently released Scottish Shellfish Farm Production Survey. This detailed report, part of Scotland’s Official Statistics publications, offers in-depth insights into employment figures, production volumes, and the economic impact of farmed shellfish across the region.

Production Trends: A Decade of Change

The survey, which analyzes production trends over a decade from 2015 to 2024, focuses on key species such as common mussels, Pacific oysters, native oysters, and king scallops. It highlights the complex dynamics and challenges facing the sector.

Key Highlights from 2024

• Record Mussel Harvest: Scotland celebrated its highest-ever common mussel output, with a total of 11,690 tonnes harvested for the table market, marking a 13% increase from the previous year.
• Oyster Output Decline: The production of Pacific oysters saw a significant drop, decreasing by 38% to 2.4 million shells. This decline is largely attributed to the closure of a major producer located in the Highland region.
• Native Oyster Recovery: In contrast, native oyster production experienced a noteworthy recovery, soaring by 53% from 111,000 to 170,000 shells.
• Scallop Variations: King scallop production slightly decreased by 4%, resulting in 23,000 shells. Unfortunately, queen scallop data was unavailable due to insufficient reporting.
• Spat Settlement Surge: A promising indicator for future yields, the number of mussel sites with successful spat settlement increased dramatically by 80%, rising from 54 sites in 2023 to 97 in 2024.

Employment and Economic Insights

In 2024, the shellfish farming sector employed approximately 241 individuals across full-time, part-time, and casual roles. This reflected a modest 2% decrease from the previous year. The estimated first-sale value of the industry was around £14 million, showing a slight 1% decline from 2023.

Health & Biosecurity Measures

As part of ongoing health surveillance efforts, the Marine Directorate’s Fish Health Inspectorate inspected 120 of the 283 active farm sites under a risk-based programme. Great Britain maintains its disease-free status for Bonamia ostreae, Marteilia refringens, and ostreid herpesvirus-1 µvar (OsHV-1 µvar). However, movement restrictions remain in some regions, including:

• Loch Sunart and Dornoch Firth (Highland region)
• West Loch Tarbert, Lynn of Lorne, Loch Creran, and Loch Etive (Strathclyde region)

Farmers are reminded of their responsibility to report any sudden or unexplained deaths within their stock to the Fish Health Inspectorate without delay.

About the Survey

The data collected for this survey is sourced directly from accredited Scottish shellfish farming operations. It serves as a vital resource for industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers, providing valuable insights into the trends and challenges facing Scotland’s expanding aquaculture sector.

For further details, you can access the full report at: Scottish Shellfish Farm Survey 2024 – gov.scot