Coronavirus hits Scottish salmon exports

THE coronavirus that has shut down large parts of China has begun to have an impact on Scottish farmed salmon exports, according to the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation.

An SSPO spokesperson said:‘We are obviously monitoring the situation very closely: China is a very important market for us.

‘The early indications are that the demand for imports of salmon has slowed as a result of the ongoing health issues in the country, particularly in the restaurant and hotel trade.

‘As a result, the small number of our member companies who are affected are looking for other markets for fish which would have been destined for China, particularly in the US and around Europe.’

Salmon prices fell back sharply in Norway at the end of January, with the coronavirus outbreak largely to blame.

The salmon industry is expecting prices to fall even further if the coronavirus worsens or takes hold in other large salmon buying countries in Asia.