Question reference: S6W-22506
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 27 November 2023
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Current status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 December 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering alternatives to the current methods of tagging fish, which involve inserting tags into them.
Answer
The Scottish Government uses a range of techniques to monitor and study fish populations which is critical to inform the management actions put in place to protect species. Internal tagging is used when there is no appropriate alternative method available to answer the specific question being addressed. It is a regulated procedure covered by the Animals (Scientific procedures) Act 1986 and is performed under licence from the Home Office. Alternatives to this method are examined and adopted where possible by the Scottish Government following the principles of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) embedded in the act.