Scottish Salmon and Trout, from Packing Hall to Cargo Hold

Salmon is the fish we fly most. Its value depends on arriving cold and on time, so the cargo plan is set at the same moment as the order. Sea trout and rainbow trout follow the same routes and can share a pallet or a container with salmon.

Forms and how each one travels

Form	Usual cargo mode	Pack
Head-on gutted (HOG) salmon	Air, chilled at +2 °C	On ice in EPS boxes of 6, 10 or 20 kg
Fillets, pin-bone out (PBO) or pin-bone in (PBI)	Air chilled, or reefer container frozen	EPS on ice, or IQF in vacuum inner packs and master cartons
Portions	Air chilled, or reefer container frozen	EPS on ice, or IQF vacuum packs
Traditional oak-smoked salmon	As agreed in the offer	As agreed in the offer
Sea trout and rainbow trout	Air chilled, or reefer container frozen	As for salmon

The air leg

Chilled salmon and trout are packed on ice and flown the same or next day by air cargo from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Every air shipment carries a temperature data logger, so the buyer can read the temperature record of the whole flight. One pallet of about 500 kg to 1 tonne is the minimum, and HOG fish, fillets and trout can be combined on it.

The sea and road legs

Frozen fillets and portions are individually quick frozen at −18 °C to −25 °C, vacuum packed and boxed in master cartons, then held at −25 °C until loading. They leave in reefer containers through Leith or Grangemouth, from one container of about 12 to 26 tonnes, or by temperature-controlled road transport for European buyers.

Papers and checks

Each consignment carries health documentation and a document of origin, and customs clearance is followed up until release. If you want the fish checked before it is loaded, an independent body such as SGS or your representative can inspect it; how that works is on our pre-shipment inspection page.

Labelling

Salmon and trout can be packed under the buyer's own label. Send label text and languages with the enquiry.

Related pages

All fish · Haddock and cod · Mackerel and herring · Corridors · FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How is fresh salmon shipped?

Packed on ice in EPS boxes and flown the same or next day by air cargo from Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a temperature data logger in each shipment.

Can salmon and trout share one shipment?

Yes. Sea trout and rainbow trout follow the same routes and can be combined with salmon on a pallet or in a container.

Which salmon forms are available frozen?

Fillets and portions are available IQF in vacuum inner packs and master cartons for reefer container or road transport.

This cargo-focused site is part of the Al Shene Marine Holding group. Main site: sultanrashidalshene.com. Enquiries by email only: info@sultanrashid.com.