The importance of salmon farming to Scotland’s rural and island economies was underlined by Beatrice Wishart MSP following a visit to Cooke’s Shetland operations.
The Member of the Scottish Parliament for Shetland toured a farm off the west mainland of the island, hosted by Cooke Scotland’s Shetland Regional Manager, David Brown, on 27 February 2026.
The visit provided an opportunity for Ms Wishart to meet the staff committed to high standards of fish welfare, observe dedicated husbandry practice and discuss continued investment in innovation to support responsible growth.
Ms Wishart, Deputy Convener on the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee conducting an inquiry into the Scottish salmon sector, said: “I’d like to thank Cooke Scotland for inviting me to see their salmon farming operations. It’s not only an important industry to Shetland but also to Scotland as a whole.
“It was interesting to see first-hand how Cooke raises salmon at the seawater sites and learn about the investment and developments being made in the industry in terms of innovation.
“Salmon farming is a critical economic driver for rural and coastal communities, supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs as well as careers in the wider supply chain.”
Shetland plays a central role to Cooke Scotland’s operations and the salmon farming sector contributes £91 million a year to the island’s economy, supporting around 1,000 jobs across the northern isles.
Beatrice Wishart MSP Met with Cooke Scotland Site Staff
Mr Brown said: “Beatrice is already aware how vital salmon farming is to Shetland’s economy and community life, and it was a pleasure to show the care and hard work that we put into producing our fish here.
“It was a sunny but wet and windy day so it really was an insight in to how our farmers work tirelessly in all weathers to produce nutritious, healthy and sustainable food to feed a growing world population.
“We are grateful to Beatrice for her time. Visits like this are important in strengthening understanding of the opportunities and the challenges facing island businesses, and how Shetland’s salmon farms keep fragile rural communities viable.”
Scottish salmon is the UK’s largest food export and around one in five farmed across the country are grown in Shetland.
Lead photograph: From left-right; David Brown, Cooke Scotland Shetland Regional Manager; Beatrice Wishart MSP and colleague Theo Smith; and Keith Leslie, Cooke Burrastow Site Manager.