Question reference: S6W-14866
- Date lodged: 13 February 2023
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Current status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 February 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds regarding the carbon emissions (a) directly from the operations and (b) indirectly from the impacts on blue carbon, of Scotland’s fishing industry.
Answer
The Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics quantify emissions from fishing vessels at sea. This is an estimate based on activity data and statistical modelling. In 2020, the latest year available, these were 0.3 mega tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-e). Marine Scotland Directorate, through ClimateXChange, commissioned research to obtain improved estimates of emissions from fishing vessels at sea. The full report can be accessed at https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/research/projects/assessing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-scotland-s-fishing-fleet/ .
As detailed in in response to S6W-12151 on 24 November 2022, the UK Climate Change Committee briefing on blue carbon , published in March 2022, recognised the challenges in estimating the climate change impact of fishing through disturbance to sea floor sediments and the current, significant evidence gaps. The briefing concluded that fundamental scientific uncertainties currently prevent accurate quantification of this effect. This has been an area of focus for the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum since its establishment in 2018, and we continue to develop our approaches to better understand the interaction. The latest research suggests that any disturbance of blue carbon by fisheries is not uniform, dependant on a number of factors and the consequences for blue carbon disturbed remain unknown.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers