Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the impact rising energy costs is having on the seafood sector in Scotland. With energy being a reserved matter, the powers to offer financial support to the fish processing industry — and indeed all industries across Scotland — lies in Westminster.

We have continually urged the UK Government to use all the levers at its disposal to tackle the cost crisis for businesses and to provide immediate support. We welcome the UK Government’s belated announcement which may limit the impact of the energy price crisis on some businesses, but unfortunately the announcement may have come too late.

Although we will continue to actively engage the UK Government, and press for further support for all industries — including the fish processing sector — cases like this reinforces the need for Scotland to have the powers of a fully independent country to accelerate the decarbonisation of our energy system and diversify our energy mix to deliver secure, sustainable and affordable energy for communities, households, and businesses in Scotland.

It is a requirement for all UK and EU fishing vessels with an overall length of 12 metres and over to be fitted with a Vessel Monitoring System and an electronic logbook, regardless of whether the vessel is involved in pelagic, scallop or demersal fishing operations.

Fishing vessels with an overall length less than 12 metres are not currently required carry a vessel monitoring system and electronic logbook.

The Scottish Government’s consultation on the introduction of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to key fishing fleet segments closed on 7 June 2022. The responses submitted are currently being analysed. The consultation prioritised the mandatory rollout of REM to scallop dredge vessels and large pelagic vessels, along with consideration of further rollout to large demersal vessels. These proposals will place Scotland in a leadership position amongst other fishing nations operating in the North Sea and Europe, going further and faster than others including the European Union.

As set out in the consultation, REM is considered to be the use of imagery, sensors, and Global Positioning System (GPS) to independently monitor fishing operations, effort, and/or catch. The technology offers a range of benefits, which differ between different fishing fleets and therefore the Scottish Government is tailoring its use to match the nature and profile of our fishing fleets. As explained, this will likely result in simplified REM systems for some fleets (or fleet segments) that do not necessarily feature all the components (imagery, sensors and GPS). In line with these definitions, the following table shows the proportion of Scottish vessels installed with REM (minimum of GPS and sensor/s).

The Scottish Government is actively in discussion with seafood processing businesses to establish where we can support investments through the Marine Fund Scotland to support the sustainable development of Scotland’s Blue Economy, including to assist energy saving or reduce energy usage. However given the limited funding made available by the UK Government after Brexit, we must balance any support from this limited pot against bids for investments that deliver other blue economy outcomes.

An action the government is taking, that will support processers, is amending the economic link licence condition contained in Scottish sea fishing licences to help ensure those allocated fishing opportunities for Scotland’s key species provide a significant return to our nation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11069 on 30 September 2022. 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

Following consultation, the Scottish Government is amending economic link provisions to deliver greater socio-economic benefit to our coastal communities.

Scotland’s fishing quotas are a national asset and deliver sustainable economic benefit beyond those at sea involved in catching.

Each year around £100 million of fish is landed outside Scotland by our fishing vessels. Often for species for which we have ready domestic processing capacity.

We want to ensure that those fortunate enough to be allocated fishing opportunities for Scotland’s key species provide a significant economic return to our nation.

That is why from 1 January 2023, vessels fishing for key Scottish species will have two options for satisfying economic link licence obligations.

1 - land a minimum set percentage into Scotland

or

2 - give back fishing opportunities for us to allocated to others in the Scottish fleet

These proportionate amendments will help ensure that there is a significant socio-economic benefit from Scotland’s fishing opportunities - Including to Scotland’s processing sector and supports industry aspirations voiced by the Scottish Pelagic Processors Association.

For more information please see: Consultation on a proposal to amend the economic link licence condition - Scottish Government - Citizen Space

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-10883 and S6W-10888 on 21 September 2022. 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

In addition, it is recognised that the migratory routes of wild salmon through the coastal zone are not fully understood and we are committed to filling these knowledge gaps. In December 2021, £400,000 of funding was announced to support The West Coast Tracking project, in collaboration with Fisheries Management Scotland and The Atlantic Salmon Trust, which will provide data on the routes salmon take as they migrate from rivers out to sea. The findings from this work will be used to inform future planning and policy decisions.

Consumer Scotland already has a statutory role and actively engages in the scrutiny arrangements underpinning the delivery of Scottish Water’s investment programme to ensure that Ministers’ objectives are being delivered. As a member of key strategic stakeholder groups Consumer Scotland advocates on behalf of customers on key industry policy issues, including on questions of affordability. Scottish Water’s Board must consider questions of affordability in finalising its Scheme of Charges; there are currently no plans to give Scottish Water additional functions in relation to charge setting.

Under the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 Ministers can only give the Water Industry Commission Scotland directions of a general or specific character as to the financial management or administration of the Commission

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-11009 on‎ 30 September 2022. 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

As part of our management of funding for bus services, the Scottish Government continually monitors forecasted spend against budget. As a result of the demand led nature of the concessionary travel schemes, we have reduced our forecast for remainder of this financial year due to lower than expected patronage. However, if patronage were now to rise above the forecasted levels, so would our expenditure on the schemes.

The Under 26 Concessionary Fares Review is a separate matter. Scottish Government has carried out analysis on a range of options including the cost of extending free bus travel and on concessionary travel across all modes of public transport to those under the age of 26. This included cost and benefit analysis. The review has concluded and is published on the Transport Scotland website at Under 26 Concessionary Fares Review | Transport Scotland

A wide range of Scottish Government support is available to Scottish wool producers and manufacturers through the Find Business Support webpage ( https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/ ) and our enterprise agencies who work with companies to discuss their specific needs. This includes grants (e.g. Business Innovation and Growth Grants), other funding, advice, help and events.

The £2m Circular Textiles Fund (CTF), administered by Zero Waste Scotland and backed by the Scottish Government assesses projects on the basis of how effectively they will accelerate a circular transition in Scotland. Information on eligibility criteria for applicants to the Circular Textiles Fund is available at: https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/faqs-circular-textiles-fund .

More broadly, the Scottish Government will consider the quality of land available for grazing when directing support payments to sheep farms.

For example, the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) and the 2022 Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS) provides additional support to maintain sheep flocks in farms reliant on poorer quality rough grazing found in Scotland’s Basic Payment Region three.

These payments help farmers and crofters maintain the social and environmental benefits that sheep flocks bring to these areas.