- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what implications arise as to the availability of grants and loans under the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant and Loan schemes for crofters who pursue a community right to buy under the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
None, as the change in ownership of the land relates only to the landowner's interest. The individual crofters will continue to be croft tenants and thus their eligibility for crofting grants will be unaffected.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals there are to ensure that personal liability is a matter for those who exercise a right to responsible access under the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-21848 and S1W-21851.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how technical fisheries conservation measures reflect the difference between over 500hp twin- or single-rigged demersal fishing vessels and single low powered seine net fishing vessels.
Answer
The only difference in the EU technical conservation measures applying to these boats is the requirement for a smaller square mesh panel in trawls and seines used by boats under 150hp.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what economic assessment has been made, or is being made, of the effect on shore-based businesses in coastal communities of the reduction in catching capacity caused by the 2001 fishing vessel decommissioning scheme.
Answer
Decommissioning will not of course reduce the level of fishing opportunities available and, indeed, should help contribute to healthier stocks and a more viable, sustainable industry for the future. We recognise, however, that fleet size reductions may have some impact on supporting industries. The effect on individual communities and businesses will depend on the circumstances involved and, indeed, decisions by individual vessel owners on whether to proceed with decommissioning following a decommissioning grant offer. In the event that there are impacts arising from fleet restructuring, bodies such as the enterprise networks are in place to assist, including in relation to any employment consequences or, for example, measures to reduce dependency on fishing.More generally, work is under way - including through the Scottish Fish Industry Project led by Scottish Enterprise, the Processors Action Working Group and the Fisheries Departments and SeaFish - on economic issues related to the fishing industry. The aim of this work is to improve understanding of the economics of the industry and how to ensure its longer term sustainability.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the EU/Norway blue whiting negotiations; what measures are currently in place for the period until an agreement is reached, and when the representative parties will next meet.
Answer
Negotiations on the management of the blue whiting stock involve the European Community, Norway, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Russia. The most recent meeting was held last month immediately prior to the December Fisheries Council. Discussions failed to resolve the level of the Total Allowable Catch to be fished in 2002, or the allocation of the stock between Coastal States. Frans Fischler, the European Commissioner with responsibility for fisheries, intends to meet from Coastal States in February to press for a multilateral agreement to regulate the stock.In the absence of an international consensus, the European Council of Ministers agreed to reduce quotas in European waters by 280,000 tonnes in line with scientific advice. Blue whiting transfers to Norway were also reduced substantially and were discontinued with the Faroe Islands. These arrangements will be reviewed in the light of any future international management agreement.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the scientific research on which the 25% cut in monkfish quotas for both the North Sea and the west coast was based, as agreed at the EU Fisheries Council meeting in December 2001, when the research was carried out and by whom.
Answer
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which provides the scientific basis underpinning the setting of Total Allowable Catches, published the findings of the most recent international assessment of monkfish stocks in October 2001. The ICES advice, noting the parlous state of monkfish stocks and that the present fishery is not sustainable, advocated a 50% cut in catches for 2002. The UK successfully argued that cuts should be introduced more gradually to take account of the impact on fishing communities and provide fishermen with some time to adapt their fishing patterns. At the Fisheries Council last month, the council agreed to a smaller cut of 25% for 2002.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on inshore, single seine net fishing vessels resulting from the introduction of nets with 120mm mesh.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has funded research looking at the impact of various mesh sizes on the catch of a single seine net fishing vessel. The work was conducted by the North Atlantic Fisheries College in Shetland as part of the £1 million science/industry partnership that the Scottish Executive announced in March 2001. The trial looked at catches from a variety of mesh types, including 120mm cod ends.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions are taking place with the European Commission regarding the introduction of a days at sea scheme targeted at whitefish species and, in particular, cod.
Answer
Commission proposals for a Council Regulation establishing measures for the recovery of cod and hake stocks, published on 11 December, include provisions for effort limitation measures.Discussion of the proposals within the EC is just getting under way. The Scottish Executive will be involved, as part of UK delegations, throughout discussions as appropriate.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive under what statutory instrument licences are granted which allow applicants to shoot to scare eider ducks.
Answer
Licences may be granted under the terms of section 16.-(1)(k) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on Environmentally Sensitive Area schemes in each of the past six years for which figures are available; how many producers were eligible to participate in each scheme, and how many did so, broken down by area.
Answer
The information is as follows:
| | Expenditure |
ESA Scheme | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
Breadalbane (Original) | £42,733 | £5,858 | - | - | - | - |
Breadalbane (Revised) | £354,064 | £551,798 | £607,426 | £546,495 | £656,148 | £581,891 |
Loch Lomond (Original) | £5,449 | £3,230 | £2,310 | £1,500 | - | - |
Loch Lomond (Revised) | £120,388 | £168,076 | £159,650 | £140,715 | £153,535 | £192,265 |
Stewartry (Original) | £111,353 | £45,940 | £25,801 | £7,936 | - | - |
Stewartry (Revised) | £370,937 | £567,132 | £899,810 | £1,262,815 | £815,139 | £1,077,016 |
Whitlaw/Eildon | £19,548 | £2,514 | £2,430 | £1,125 | - | - |
Central Borders1 | £113,587 | £238,645 | £446,446 | £508,661 | £601,775 | £974,440 |
Machair of the Uists etc (Original) | £75,348 | £49,247 | £21,417 | £517 | - | - |
Machair of the Uists etc (Revised) | £26,633 | £133,775 | £305,091 | £374,448 | £400,261 | £628,153 |
Central Southern Uplands | £541,437 | £641,007 | £1,131,845 | £1,306,420 | £1,045,108 | £1,804,029 |
Western Southern Uplands | £262,627 | £376,433 | £588,951 | £657,340 | £692,083 | £940,870 |
Cairngorms Straths | £141,443 | £260,987 | £612,384 | £808,543 | £786,429 | £977,403 |
Argyll Islands | £261,562 | £487,927 | £995,371 | £1,096,973 | £1,292,682 | £1,225,348 |
Shetland Islands | £77,535 | £234,573 | £508,011 | £781,552 | £1,108,010 | £2,041,886 |
Totals | £2,524,644 | £3,767,142 | £6,306,943 | £7,495,040 | £7,551,170 | £10,443,301 |
Note:1 Formerly Whitlaw/Eildon.
| | ESA Scheme agreements in force at 31 March of each year. |
ESA Scheme | Estimated No of Eligible Participants | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
Breadalbane (Original) | - | 8 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
Breadalbane (Revised) | 194 | 91 | 112 | 122 | 137 | 166 | 166 |
Loch Lomond (Original) | - | 16 | 4 | - | - | - | - |
Loch Lomond (Revised) | 72 | 31 | 38 | 39 | 44 | 51 | 51 |
Stewartry (Original) | - | 34 | 17 | 2 | - | - | - |
Stewartry (Revised) | 380 | 115 | 140 | 179 | 186 | 203 | 202 |
Whitlaw/Eildon | - | 4 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - |
Central Borders1 | 170 | 41 | 62 | 82 | 112 | 143 | 143 |
Machair of the Uists etc (Original) | - | 143 | 105 | 57 | - | - | - |
Machair of the Uists etc (Revised) | 480 | 103 | 186 | 224 | 306 | 407 | 407 |
Central Southern Uplands | 385 | 157 | 177 | 206 | 239 | 297 | 295 |
Western Southern Uplands | 400 | 80 | 90 | 126 | 140 | 183 | 183 |
Cairngorms Straths | 188 | 54 | 71 | 104 | 122 | 158 | 158 |
Argyll Islands | 450 | 134 | 169 | 266 | 331 | 367 | 367 |
Shetland Islands | 1,350 | 83 | 154 | 283 | 437 | 728 | 724 |
Totals | 4,069 | 1,094 | 1,328 | 1,692 | 2,054 | 2,703 | 2,696 |
Note:1. Formerly Whitlaw/Eildon.
