Current status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 9 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19319 by Mairi McAllan on 11 July 2023, when the UK Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy will be finalised and adopted, and what it is doing to safeguard cetaceans in the meantime.
A public consultation on the UK Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy took place in 2021 and we are working on amendments to the strategy, in partnership with the other UK administrations and the working group, ahead of implementation in early 2025.
These amendments include the addition of a number of species of whale and dolphin that are regularly sighted in UK waters and updates to the evidence base and the areas identified where further action can be taken. In the meantime, the Scottish Government continues to take action to improve the conservation of UK cetaceans.
We recognise that bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear can pose a risk to our iconic marine life and remain committed to tackling this issue in our waters.
We are working in partnership with the UK Government and other administrations on implementing the bycatch mitigation initiative.
Through the Future Catching Policy, Scottish Ministers will be delivering on their obligations to minimise and, where possible, eliminate bycatch of sensitive species as part of wider efforts to ensure the sustainability of our fishing fleet.
As our first priority, we will take firm measures to increase selectivity by introducing additional technical measures to reduce unwanted catch and bycatch of sensitive marine species, working with stakeholders to explore and deliver solutions.