Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Official Report 397KB pdf

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Petitions

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Inshore Fisheries (Management) (PE1386)

The third agenda item is consideration of two petitions, the first of which is PE1386, by Richard Munday on behalf of the Torridon Nephrops Management Group, on the establishment of further static-gear-only inshore fisheries.

At our meeting on Wednesday 12 June, we agreed to keep PE1386 open and to write to the petitioner seeking his views on the information that the Scottish Government provided to the committee. Members have that information in front of them, along with the response from Mr Munday, who seems happy with the fact that the Scottish Government is bearing the issue in mind, if not actually immediately answering the question about local management. Undoubtedly, that will occur with the inshore fisheries group, and it might be a rather interesting test case. Therefore, I think that we should close the petition and keep a watching brief on the subject.

As there are no further comments, do members agree to that suggestion?

Members indicated agreement.

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Trout Stocks (Effects of Farmed and Hatchery-reared Trout and Salmon) (PE1450)

We turn to PE1450, by James A Mackie, on the environmental and genetic impact on natural stocks of sea and brown trout from stocking rivers with farmed brown trout and hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon. We agreed to keep the petition open and to seek the Scottish Government’s views on the petition. Members have those views in front of them. Does anyone have a comment on the petition and what we should do with it?

As a sea trout champion, I feel that it is important to protect the species, along with brown trout. However, as I understand it, research specifically into stocking would not be the most helpful way forward, as there are a range of issues. So, if we take into account the recommendations, I am happy to close the petition.

Do members agree to close the petition, on the grounds that the Scottish Government has set out why it has no plans to undertake the specific research that is identified in the petition, although, in so doing, to highlight our intention to scrutinise the Scottish Government’s future review of salmon and freshwater fisheries, which I think will crop up in our work?

Members indicated agreement.

As agreed, we will now move into private for agenda item 4.

At our next meeting, on Wednesday 18 September, the committee will take evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment on agricultural issues and from the Minister for Environment and Climate Change on Raasay sporting rights leases. We will begin at the slightly earlier time of 9.30 am.

11:27 Meeting continued in private until 12:08.