- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scotland-registered skippers have been prosecuted for illegally landing fish in each year from 2002.
Answer
The term, illegally landing fish is a fairly general term which we have interpreted as either the landing of fish which has not been properly declared, or catches which are of themselves illegal in that the fishing vessel concerned was not authorised to catch a particular species, or the fish were juveniles which ought to have been returned to the sea. The number of masters of Scottish registered vessels prosecuted for these offences in each of the years since 2002 is:
2002: 16
2003: 6
2004: 19
2005: 16
2006: 2
2007: 3
2008: 3
2009: 9
2010 (to date): 0.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value was of mackerel landed illegally in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005.
Answer
The value of mackerel landed illegally in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005, is a matter that will be considered by the courts both in proceedings that are currently live and in further prosecutions that may follow over the course of the coming months. In would be inappropriate to speculate or pre-empt any determination which may be made in that context.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fish were illegally landed in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005.
Answer
No records are kept on the number of individual fish associated with any case of illegal fishing brought before the Scottish courts. However the quantity specified in such cases where the weight of fish was an integral part of the charge for which a conviction was obtained in each of the years specified (with the exception of 2002 for which figures are not available) is:-
2003 - 16.9 tonnes
2004 - 85.1 tonnes
2005 - 184.5 tonnes.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 14 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to explore ways to establish a youth microcredit scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government is very supportive of the Prince''s Scottish Youth Business Trust''s (PSYBT) Revolving Loan Fund. This provides young people with access to loans of up to £5,000 to set up in business and offers a valuable aftercare service to successful applicants from a large number of volunteer business people across Scotland. PSYBT is particularly concerned with creating opportunities for disadvantaged young people. In 2009-10 and 2010-11, the Scottish Government, through Scottish Enterprise, enhanced the resources available to PSYBT by investing £200,000 per annum in the Revolving Loan Fund. It has also recently successfully secured ERDF to provide a tailored package of coaching and mentoring assistance to 1,700 young people over the next three years.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 14 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what stakeholders it has met to discuss ways to establish a youth microcredit scheme.
Answer
Under the auspices of Financial Services Advisory Board (FISAB), work has already been undertaken, including desk based research and consultation with a number of key stakeholders, looking at the microcredit market in Scotland and considering whether gaps exist. With regard to youth microcredit, the Prince''s Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) is seen as the main provider of support to young people and there is currently no evidence to suggest further provision is necessary.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive which elements of the National Marine Plan will ensure that the development of aquaculture sites does not lead to the harassment of grey seals and common seals at haul-out sites.
Answer
The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 sets out that public authorities must take enforcement and authorisation decisions in accordance with the marine plan. The pre consultation draft National Marine Plan will include a map of seal haul-out sites as developed by the Sea Mammal Research Unit under consideration for designation under the act in order to protect seals from harassment. Once the plan is adopted by the Parliament any designated seal haul-out sites will be taken into account in planning decisions.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Marine Scotland selected the highest number within the potential biological removal range calculated by the Sea Mammal Research Unit when deciding how many common seals could be killed under licence in the Moray Firth Seal Management Area.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39483 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many licences to kill common seals in the Western Isles Seal Management Area under section 110(1)(f) and (g) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 have been granted for the (a) Western Isles Seal Conservation Area and (b) the rest of the Western Isles Seal Management Area and for how many seals in each
Answer
All licences issued for common seals in the Western Isles Seal Management Area also lie within the Western Isles Seal Conservation Area. The number of licences and the number of seals granted can be found in Tables 1 and 2 of the frequently asked questions paper at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/marine/licensing/seallicensing.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what allowance it makes for misidentification of species when deciding the number of grey and common seals that may be shot under licence under section 110(1)(f) and (g) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39483 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the impact of new fish farm developments on local seal populations is assessed during the screening process for new site designations and, if so, what reasons have been given by operators of new fish farms for applying for seal licences.
Answer
The possible general impact of any proposed new fish farm development on local seal populations is currently one of a range of environmental issues that should be considered by developers and public authorities when considering relevant plans and development proposals including, where required, via strategic environmental assessments, environmental impact assessments and habitats regulations appraisals.
The need for new fish farms to prevent serious damage to their site or stock and to protect the health and welfare of farmed fish against seal predation and the potential impact of this on local seal populations is considered separately by Marine Scotland as part of the process of consideration of any application for a seal licence under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.