Chamber and committees

Information on the gender pay gap is collected by the Office for National Statistics and this includes information on the fisheries and aquaculture industry in Scotland. Further info can be accessed via this link

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashegenderpaygaptables

Table 5.12 provides information on the pay gap by region and industry.

During the development of the climate change plan and update there was extensive engagement across all sectors and a public consultation on the draft plan was open for everyone to provide comment. The consultation ran from 16 December 2020 to 31 March 2021.

We considered all available evidence and advice at the time in the development of the Climate Change Plan Update and will do so again in the development of the next Plan, in line with our commitment to a just and fair transition to Net Zero.

In total, the consultation on fisheries management measures within Scottish offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) received 3,881 valid responses. The majority of these response came from campaigns from two organisations.

Of those who responded specifically to the question on full site management measures, 97% were in support and 3% were opposed.

The full consultation analysis report was published on 31 January and can be found on the Scottish Government website.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with the Anglo Scottish Fishermen’s Association since we were appointed to our roles.

Scotland’s first National Marine Plan (NMP) was adopted in 2015 and provides the guiding framework for sustainable management of marine activities and resources. In October 2022, Ministers announced the intention to update the NMP to better support our transition to net zero and tackling the nature and climate crisis through marine planning.

The timeline for the National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) is published in the statement of public participation. The draft NMP2 is scheduled for consultation in late 2025 with plan adoption anticipated in 2027.

Fishing can be a challenging and unpredictable livelihood, and we recognise the importance of supporting our fishing communities.

No specific support has been targeted at fishers' families or partners, however, we have continued to make funding available through our Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) to support young fishers and to secure the long-term viability of the industry and provide resilience for the workforce. Between 2021 -2024 MFS has awarded 37 young fishers over £2.5 million in grants to enable them to purchase their first fishing vessel (or a share in a vessel). We have provided support of £5 million in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to help the farming, fishing, food and drink sector recover from Brexit and COVID-19.

In 2023 we carried out further research into factors affecting fishers’ decision making and the report is available here - What factors influence the strategies and choices of Scottish fishers? A feasibility study.

This research found that family life, wellbeing, and working conditions are important considerations when fishers decide whether to leave or stay in the industry.

This is still a topic of interest where further research and insight in collaboration with industry and the research communities would be welcomed.

The Women in Scottish Fisheries report provides a thorough overview of the importance of women across the industry and specifies that creating an attractive, safe and supportive environment for women, might direct us towards achieving a more equitable, and sustainable industry overall.

This remains a live topic that the Scottish Government is keen to explore in the future and we encourage industry to take the lead to bring about change wherever possible. We recognise that some actions may need to be initiated by government and we want to explore options for collaborative working and for actions to be developed in partnership with the fishing industry.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-33849 on 31 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-33899 on 31 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers