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Through our network of 18 Coastal Offices, as well as the Regional Inshore Fisheries Group (RIFG) network, the Scottish Government encourages the fishing industry to work together and develop voluntary codes of conduct to reduce instances of gear conflict.

In situations resulting in loss or damage to gear, Police Scotland are the competent authority out to 12 nautical miles. Beyond that, responsibility lies with the Marine Coastguard Agency.

Our Coastal Offices operate a reporting mechanism for reporting gear loss. The aim of this is to utilise the available evidence to determine which vessels were active in the area and to establish contact, assisting those involved in arriving at an amicable outcome. It also ensures the necessary information is available, should Police Scotland require to be involved.

The Clyde closure is in place to maximise the opportunity for cod to reproduce and hence recover the stock. The closed area was defined according to extensive published literature on the types of seabed substrate on which cod prefer to spawn, and data on substrate type distribution provided by the British Geological Survey (BGS). This information has not changed since the closure was put in place.

When the Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) Order 2024 was made, it was accompanied by a Business Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA).

Following the 2025 closure there will be a public consultation on future management. That consultation will assess any changes that have happened since 2022 and make recommendations for the future on that basis.

The 2024-25 budget that was used as the comparator included a number of transfers that occurred at Autumn Budget Revision. The main transfer related to the inclusion of deferred Coastal Communities payments from 2023-24, this was a one-off occurrence which resulted in a net increase of £5 million from the 2024-25 starting budget position.

In comparison to the 2024-25 starting budget there has been a £1.6 million increase in the overall resource budget available to Marine Directorate in 2025-26 which when excluding depreciation is an additional £2 million of resource funding.

The Marine Directorate is aware of this report and recognises its findings. The conclusions of the paper are very similar to those presented annually in the Scottish Sustainable Fishing Index (SFI, Sustainability of Fish Stocks | National Performance Framework).

The SFI has increased from 37% in 1992 to 71% in 2023, highlighting an overall improvement in Scottish commercial fish stocks that is very similar to that presented in the Shetland Fishermen’s report.

Marine Directorate scientists would however recommend interpreting this report with some caution due to methodological issues which depart from the normal way in which stocks are assessed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and on which basis international advice is derived for international negotiations and setting of total allowable catches.

Patrol Vessels

The following table sets out the patrol vessel spend for the last three financial years, for the purposes of the response maintenance includes the maintenance of the vessels, cranes and landing craft both at refit and on an ongoing basis.

Following the 2025 closure there will be a public consultation on future management. That consultation will assess any changes that have happened since 2022 and make recommendations for the future on that basis.

Marine Directorate Marine Protection and Research vessels range in age from between seventeen and twenty-seven years old. A zero and 'low carbon' fuel is generally associated with zero or low emissions at point of combustion onboard a vessel. Low emission fuels being explored by the shipping industry and its regulators include Ammonia, Methanol, Biofuel and Hydrogen. Each of the Scottish Governments (a) marine protection vessels, and (b) marine research vessels are fuelled with Marine Gas Oil (MGO), but low carbon fuelling options will be a key factor in any vessel replacement moving forward to meet emissions regulations and targets.

Geographical indications are a reserved matter. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the competent authority for the geographical indication schemes in the UK.

To ensure compliance with product specifications for protected geographical indications, regular inspections are carried out by control bodies, such as local authorities or UKAS-accredited organisations.

The last Scottish Fishing Safety Group (SFSG) meeting was held on 17 December 2024. There is no date for the next meeting at this time.

After awarding £1,124,350 to Victim Support Organisations in December the balance in the fund as at December 2024 is £188,525.92.

Criminals made to pay to support victims - gov.scot.