Chamber and committees

In both 2011 and 2012 licence applications were only considered for fish farm which were already registered by Marine Scotland. If a new fish farm site is established during the year they must either apply for their own seal management licence or apply to be added to an existing seal management licence, if they wish to manage seals.

The potential biological removal (PBR) figures for common seals in two seal management regions were marginally reduced. In one of these regions seal numbers had increased and in the other seal numbers had reduced.

No reports of the illegal killing of seals were received by Marine Scotland in 2011.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39492 on 4 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05609 on 9 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Three staff posts are available, one each at B2, B1 and A4 grades respectively, to administer and monitor the seal licensing scheme. It should be noted, however, that seal licensing represents significantly less than 50% of each of their duties.

The UK by catch observer programme, between 1996 and 2010, has records for 1,552 observed trips on vessels using static net fishing gear in ICES Area IV and ICES area VII. These trips have resulted in 10,666 hauls being observed with only 74 hauls resulting in accidental bycatch of seabirds

For 2010 and 2011 Marine Scotland’s observer programme was active on 129 pelagic and demersal trawl fishing trips in ICES Area IV and ICES area VI. No accidental by catches of seabirds were observed on these trips.

In 2011 there was a bycatch of 17 fulmars in the longline fishery by vessels from other member states, operating in ICES area VI. Additional monitoring in this fishery is currently being investigated to ascertain any impacts.

Based on the low level of observations of accidental by catch it is unlikely that there is a negative impact on seabird populations, or the favourable conservation status of special protections areas.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05609 on 9 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Red squirrels are one of the species included in SNH’s Species Action Framework and are a focus for practical action. SNH prepared an interim Grey Squirrel Control Strategy following public consultation in April 2010. The Strategy sets out locations where grey squirrel control is most likely to benefit red squirrel conservation. Targeted grey squirrel control is currently being carried out through two public and NGO partnership projects; Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (in the north-east of Scotland, Tayside and Loch Lomond and Trossachs) and Red Squirrels in South Scotland. These projects are co-ordinating grey squirrel control and at the same time attempting to measure the costs and the benefits to red squirrels.

Scottish Natural Heritage is to provide funding of £350,000 for the Saving Red Squirrels Project between 2012-14.

Additionally, the Scottish Government has committed funding of £2,733,930 between 2012 and 2016 to projects under the Rural Priorities element of the Scotland Rural Development Programme, for red squirrel conservation.

Forestry Commission Scotland has also committed £500,000 between 2012-16 for the conservation of red squirrels in Scotland.