Current status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it appears to have dropped commitments from its Future Fisheries Management strategy 12-point action plan to (a) apply a cap on fishing activity in inshore waters (up to three nautical miles) and (b) review and revise the management of unused "latent" scallop fishing entitlements, in light of these actions not being included in the recent delivery plan update, which was published on 20 March 2025.
The Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement Programme, launched in 2024, aims to develop a more agile and regional inshore fisheries management framework. Our Call for Evidence on the programme closed on 18 February 2025 and the submissions received are currently being analysed.
This is a transformational project for inshore fisheries in Scotland, supporting delivery of locally appropriate management solutions. As such, the Scottish Government is not currently progressing proposals for a national cap on fishing activity in our inshore waters or reviewing the management of Scottish scallop entitlements.