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Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a list of questions that we are often asked. If you cannot find the answer to your question here, please do not hesitate to contact us

How soon after harvest will I receive my order?
Why are our salmon sustainable?
Are our salmon kept in crowded conditions?
Are medicines/antibiotics used in our farming?
Are our salmon coloured artificially?
How do we control predators taking our fish?

How soon after harvest will I receive my order?
UK & Northern Europe 1-2 working days
Rest of the World 2-3 working days

Why are our salmon sustainable?
The fish meal which we feed the salmon is made up of off-cuts from fish, which have been caught in the North-East Atlantic, which are filleted and bound for human consumption. Unlike many others, we have a FIFO ratio (Fish in fish out ratio) of less than 1.34:1. This means that it takes 1.34kg of fish to produce 1kg of salmon; which is much less than salmon produced to a Label Rouge standard which is 3.29:1. Our feed producer is currently researching a new fish meal, by introducing a higher proportion of vegetable protein to our salmons' diet, which will reduce our FIFO to 0.97:1.

Are our salmon kept in crowded conditions?

We are proud to approach salmon production in a humane and harmonious way. Under the stringent requirements of RSPCA Freedom Food accreditation, our salmon are stocked at a low density of no more than 1.5% salmon to 98.5% water (15kg per cubic metre).

The health, and resulting quality, of our salmon demands a pure and stress-free environment and a balanced and healthy diet.

Are medicines/antibiotics used in our farming?

At Wester Ross, we manage fish health by taking a preventative approach. By working at the highest level of husbandry, hand-rearing the salmon, we are able to keep a good eye on the salmons' health on a daily basis.

We do not use antibiotics or hormones for growth-promotion. Together with good husbandry practices and vaccination against furunculosis and IPN, the risk of disease is greatly reduced.

In comparison with the number of medicines available and used in terrestrial food animal production, only a limited number of preparations are available to fish farmers to treat disease or to eliminate parasites such as sea lice. These prescription-only medicines are applied under strictly controlled conditions, in feed or bath treatments, in line with regulatory authority rules and recommendations, and under the supervision of authorised veterinarians.

Are our salmon coloured artificially?
The pink colour of salmon flesh, wild or farmed, is caused by the presence of carotenoid pigments. These are known to be important in salmon and human nutrition, since they are important antioxidants. There are more than 600 naturally occurring carotenoids and, for example, they produce the colours of apricots, tomatoes and carrots. The group of carotenoids found in fish are known as xanthophylls and include astaxanthin and canthaxanthin. As salmon are unable to synthesise these pigments, they must take them in as part of their diets. The pigments may come from crustaceans, from yeast culture or, more usually, from nature identical products — all are approved for addition to the diet of farmed salmon.

How do we control predators taking its fish?
All animals that are farmed, including fish, have natural predators that will try to take stock from farms. We use a 'seal scarer' which emits a mid-frequency noise or click, which sounds similar to us as the typing on a keyboard. This noise is found irritating by seals and hence they stay at a distance to the pens. This is required because, if a seal were to attack a pen, in one night a seal could easily seriously damage, and therefore kill, over 1,000 salmon. Nets are laid above the pens to stop birds being able to take salmon.