Chamber and committees

Scottish Aquaculture: A Fresh Start, the consultation on the renewed strategic framework for Scottish aquaculture, sought views on the Scottish Government''s approach to planning, consents and sites for aquaculture. It pointed out that new or modified finfish developments are subject to Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations. On expiry of leases existing marine farms will be subject to an audit or review process to ensure that requirements of European Directives are not compromised.

The consultation on Scottish Aquaculture: A Fresh Start is now closed, the renewed strategic framework will be published in the spring.

The industry''s own Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture contains recommendations on the siting of fish farms. In addition, the Environmental Impact Assessment Practical Guidelines Toolkit for Marine Fish Farming contains at Annex G guidance on potential impacts arising from marine fish farming and their assessment, and Scottish Planning Policy 22 provides guidance on particular factors to be taken into account when considering proposals for siting of fish farms.

Movement of farmed salmon between management areas is currently not regulated unless movement controls have been applied because of the presence of notifiable disease such as infectious salmon anaemia. Biosecurity safeguards for consented movements will be applied by the Fisheries Research Services Aberdeen and they will be based on those in the industry Code of Good Practice.

Legislation will soon be introduced to regulate movements of live fish between management areas as a safeguard against the spread of latent infection.

Trade in live fish in the European Union is regulated by Council Directive 2006/88/EC on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals. Trade is permitted only where the fish health status of the exporting area is equal to or greater than the importing area.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19804 on 28 January 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

No such provision or regulation exists. The industry''s own Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture contains recommendations on site fallowing across given areas which are designed to manage sea lice numbers and disease.

Ministers in Scotland and Northern Ireland met in November 2008 to discuss the way forward and agreed that further consideration should be given to proceeding with a joint Campbeltown to Ballycastle service tender.

Scottish Government officials, in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Executive, are currently in the process of preparing a joint paper, with detailed options for ministers to consider.

A decision is expected within the next month.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19617 on 26 January 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government does not publish figures below those detailed in the budget documents you refer to. However, the increase in budget provision between 2008-09 and 2009-10 is necessary to maintain the level of service on lifeline ferry services in Scotland. This in line with the Scottish Government commitment to support lifeline ferry services to promote sustainable economic growth in our remote and island communities.

In addition, I refer you to the Cabinet Secretary''s response of 7 January 2009 to the conclusions and recommendations of the Finance Committee 7th report, 2008 (session 3) Stage 2 of the 2009-10 budget process.

The Control of Non-Native Species Option appears under Rural Priorities, one of the eight delivery mechanisms of the Scotland Rural Development Programme. In the first nine months of applications, four applications have been received that include the Control of Non-Native Species Option and all four of these have been approved. All those applications were within 2008. None of the applications or approvals originated from Argyll.