Exclusive:Leading Scottish restaurants drop Scottish salmon from menus amid sustainability concerns

A number of leading chefs and restaurants across Edinburgh have removed farmed salmon from their menus amid environmental and welfare concerns.

The Witchery on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh is the latest Scottish restaurant to take farmed salmon off its menu.

The move by the restaurant, which was named third best fine dining in the world by TripAdvisor, is in support of the nationwide Off The Table campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the environmental, sustainability, and welfare issues surrounding salmon farming, including it impact on Scotland’s declining population of wild salmon.

James Thomson, owner of The Witchery, said: “Protecting our wild salmon is not only about safeguarding one of Scotland's most treasured species, but also about preserving the health of our rivers, coastlines and the communities that depend upon them.”

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Address: 352 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NF. The Times says: True, the location by the gates of Edinburgh Castle makes the Witchery catnip for tourists, but the 16th-century dining room provides eye-popping fireworks to equal the city’s famous Tattoo, from tapestries and oak panelling to flames flickering in tall brass candlesticks.

Mr Thomson has also signed pledged not to serve farmed salmon at Prestonfield House, which is home to fine-dining restaurant Rhubarb. He added: “Supporting producers who work in harmony with nature has always been central to our philosophy, and we are proud to support the Off the Table campaign.”

Scottish Salmon, the trade body for Scottish salmon farming, said that wild salmon numbers have been declining since long before salmon farming and that water quality and habitat loss were key threats to the population.

A spokesperson for Salmon Scotland said: "It is intensely disappointing that these establishments have not visited a sea farm or spoken to any fish farmer. They would be most welcome to ask any questions they have. We have asked owner James Thomson for a meeting and await his reply."

Other Edinburgh-based hospitality groups which have lent their support to the campaign include the Contini Restaurants group, which includes its renowned restaurant Contini George Street, Cannonball Restaurant & Bar and The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant at the National Gallery.

Carina Contini, director at Contini Restaurants, said: “Visitors come to Scotland to taste iconic products; salmon is one of our most revered fish, however current rearing practices are endangering native wild stocks and we felt it was the correct decision to stop selling.”

Chef patron Lloyd Morse of The Palmerston on Edinburgh’s West End, and chef proprietor Fred Berkmiller of L’escargot Blue in New Town, have been two of the most prominent long-standing supporters of the Off the Table campaign.

Campaign manager Sondhya Gupta, said: “As tourists flock to Edinburgh this summer, they’ll be excited to try the best food Scotland has to offer. It’s fitting then that a wave of the city’s best restaurants and chefs are coming together to help educate consumers by removing farmed salmon from their menus.

“This momentum reflects a growing industry awareness that farmed salmon is harming Scotland’s wild salmon and polluting our coastal and freshwater environments. The message from these leading restaurants is clear: farmed salmon is a nasty stain on Scotland's wonderful food scene, and it has no place on our menus”.