Chamber and committees

Our aim is to introduce a Bill that strikes an appropriate balance in applying to significant landholdings whilst not disproportionately impacting smaller businesses and farms. A suite of impact assessments is being developed for Bill introduction, which will further help to inform final policy proposals. Final decisions on the Bill’s contents will be made in due course by Ministers and the Bill will be published on the Scottish Parliament website following its introduction in line with the established legislative process for Bills.

The Scottish Hydrogen Assessment projections were all done at a Scotland level and as such, there are no explicit figures for jobs by region.

The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will be developed with stakeholders to achieve sustainable management of our seas, support coastal communities, safeguarding of existing sectors and protection of the marine environment.

The fisheries policy authorities intend to deliver the Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) according to the timescales set out in Annex A of the Joint Fisheries Statement .

Fisheries management proposals for offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will be consulted on in early 2024. Fisheries management proposals for all inshore MPAs and Priority Marine Features (PMFs) are expected to go to public consultation at the end of 2024.

The Scottish Government’s Fisheries Management Strategy has a timeframe of ten years, and will be delivered over the course of December 2020 to December 2030. The actions within the Strategy are intended to be delivered across this full timeframe.

Individuals are not eligible to apply directly to the Just Transition Fund. Workers in the north east region are supported through our £50 million multi-year capital grant programme, announced in 2022-23.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with a range of stakeholders across the North East and Moray, including offshore energy sector businesses and trade unions regarding the operation of the Just Transition Fund where appropriate. Details of the latest meetings are as follows:

So far, the Just Transition Fund has allocated £75 million to date, supporting a cross-sector portfolio of projects ranging across sectors like energy, agriculture, digital innovation and construction while also supporting communities across the North East and Moray to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.

Individuals are not eligible to apply directly to the Just Transition Fund, however through our £50 million multi-year capital grant programme we are providing support to the current and future offshore energy workforce, including oil and gas workers, as they transition to net zero.

For example, this year we are funding 400 free pilot training courses in energy transition skills. We are also sponsoring the development of an Offshore Energy Skills Passport which, once complete, will aim to support any member of the UK offshore energy workforce to transition between offshore energy sectors.

Through our Supply Chain Pathway and Energy Transition Challenge Fund project we are supporting energy supply chain companies currently servicing the oil and gas markets to transition to new opportunities in green energy across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, and Moray. In Year 1 we supported 11 local businesses and over the Fund’s 4-year lifetime we will deliver £10 million in grant support to companies in the region.

The Scottish Government hopes to publish a draft Bioenergy Policy Statement for consultation by the end of 2023.

The total quantity of discards below Minimum Conservation Reference Size from Scottish vessels is not currently estimated. The Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government estimates the total weight of bycatch (catch that was not considered suitable for commercial sales) below Minimum Conservation Reference Size for demersal trawlers and seine netters for each year, using data collected by scientific observers on-board fishing vessels. Fishing trips by vessels using other gears are not surveyed. The estimates for 2022 are given in the table below. These estimates are for fishing trips by UK vessels landing into Scotland and Scottish vessels landing abroad, however the estimates for solely Scottish vessels are likely to be of similar magnitude.

Estimates of the total weight of bycatch (kg) below Minimum Conservation Reference Size, rounded to the nearest tonne, caught in 2022 in ICES subarea 4 and division 6a by UK vessels landing into Scotland and Scottish vessels landing abroad, fishing with demersal trawls or seines.

The total quantity of discards from Scottish vessels is not currently estimated. Marine Scotland estimates the total weight of fish bycatch (catch that was not considered suitable for commercial sales) for demersal trawlers and seine netters for each year, using data collected by scientific observers on-board fishing vessels. Fishing trips by vessels using other gears are not surveyed. The estimates for 2022 are given in the following table. These estimates are for fishing trips by UK vessels landing into Scotland and Scottish vessels landing abroad, however the estimates for solely Scottish vessels are likely to be of similar magnitude.

Estimates of the total weight of bycatch (kg), rounded to the nearest tonne, caught in 2022 in ICES subarea 4 and division 6a by UK vessels landing into Scotland and Scottish vessels landing abroad, fishing with demersal trawls or seines.