Seòmar agus comataidhean

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with Open Seas whilst the fishing industry were present as part of the discussion, since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.

The Salmon (Fish Passes and Screens) (Scotland) Regulations 1994 were revoked in 2013. Therefore, there have been no prosecutions for offences under these regulations since 2021.

The Salmon (Fish Passes and Screens) (Scotland) Regulations 1994 were revoked in 2013 and regulation of activities affecting the water environment, including barriers to salmon migration, is now done under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. This framework allows for a broader suite of enforcement options compared with the Salmon (Fish Passes and Screens) (Scotland) Regulations 1994, which only allowed prosecutions.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with the Coastal Communities Network Scotland whilst the fishing industry were present as part of the discussion, since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with the Scottish Wildlife Trust whilst the fishing industry were present as part of the discussion, since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with Friends of the Earth Scotland whilst the fishing industry were present as part of the discussion, since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.

In total, the consultation on fisheries management measures within Scottish offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) received 3,881 valid responses. The majority of these response came from campaigns from two organisations.

Of those who responded specifically to the question on full site management measures, 97% were in support and 3% were opposed.

The full consultation analysis report was published on 31 January and can be found on the Scottish Government website.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with the Mallaig & North West Fishermen’s Association Ltd since we were appointed to our roles.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with the Anglo Scottish Fishermen’s Association since we were appointed to our roles.

Fishing can be a challenging and unpredictable livelihood, and we recognise the importance of supporting our fishing communities.

No specific support has been targeted at fishers' families or partners, however, we have continued to make funding available through our Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) to support young fishers and to secure the long-term viability of the industry and provide resilience for the workforce. Between 2021 -2024 MFS has awarded 37 young fishers over £2.5 million in grants to enable them to purchase their first fishing vessel (or a share in a vessel). We have provided support of £5 million in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to help the farming, fishing, food and drink sector recover from Brexit and COVID-19.

In 2023 we carried out further research into factors affecting fishers’ decision making and the report is available here - What factors influence the strategies and choices of Scottish fishers? A feasibility study.

This research found that family life, wellbeing, and working conditions are important considerations when fishers decide whether to leave or stay in the industry.

This is still a topic of interest where further research and insight in collaboration with industry and the research communities would be welcomed.