In the Scottish Highlands, where rugged mountains collide with the Atlantic, Lewis Gibson reaches into a bucket of brown pellets and scatters a handful into the gray salt water of Loch Leven. Under the surface, there’s a flurry of activity as thousands of salmon jostle for a snack.
“They can feed better on an overcast day rather than a bright blue sunny one,” says Gibson, 30, as drizzle and 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) gave way to patches of sunshine.
The scene on a June day hardly feels like summer, and couldn’t contrast more with the arid heat of the Middle East. But if all goes to plan, some of the fish being bred at marine farming company Mowi ASA’s site in the sea loch between Glencoe and Ben Nevis may end up being eaten in Saudi Arabia.
The kingdom is a frontier market for fish breeders that’s expanding rapidly after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman included healthy living in his plan to transform Saudi society and the economy.
The aim is to change dietary habits in a place where lamb dominates and hypertension, heart problems and diabetes affect one in five people. “Social changes will help move consumption toward seafood,” said Ali Al Shaikhi, director general of the kingdom’s General Directorate of Fisheries, which is running a public awareness campaign.
Like the crown prince’s “Vision 2030,” the target is ambitious: To almost double per capita fish consumption to 13 kilograms (29 pounds) by the end of next year and then to 22 kilograms, the global average, by 2030. The fisheries department has started a certification program that brands fish from local aquaculture farms and sells the “trusted” product packaged for ease of use, said Al Shaikhi.
That’s an opportunity, says Jamie McAldine, the account manager at Mowi responsible for the Middle East who is based just north of Edinburgh. The company, which has 50 farms in Scotland and is by far the nation’s biggest salmon producer, is currently going through the paperwork with the Saudi government to become an approved supplier, he said.
“The process is a bit painful, but we’ll get there,” said McAldine. “As soon as we become approved, they’re ready to take the fish. We’ll be sending at least one order per week and hoping to build on that.”