Question reference: S6W-00882
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 21 June 2021
-
Current status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 July 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many wild wrasse landings there have been at each (a) creek and (b) aquaculture facility in each week since 1 May 2021, broken down by weight, and how many were reported by the wrasse fishers through (i) their standard reporting requirements and (ii) the new weekly reporting required under the point 11 of the licence conditions applying to the harvesting of the species.
Answer
Under new arrangements that came into place on 1 May 2021, fishing licences were varied prohibiting vessels from fishing for wrasse unless they were awarded a Letter of Derogation from Marine Scotland and signed up to fish in line with certain mandatory conditions.
In addition to the statutory requirements for fishermen to provide landings details on Form FISH1, Log Books and landings declarations, wrasse fishermen must also now submit to Marine Scotland a record of the total number of wrasse, by species landed for each trip made in each given week. Although the new arrangements are still bedding in, fishermen are now submitting these returns as required.
The fishery opened on 1 May but only a small number of vessels have harvested wrasse so far and I am therefore unable to provide the level of detail you seek as that might lead to individuals being identified. But I can provide a summary of landings.
Between 1 May and 19 June there were 78 landings totalling some 1700 kg, mostly in the Oban, Portree and Mallaig landing districts.
The licence conditions applying to all vessels that hold a Letter of Derogation to fish for wrasse require that all wrasse landings, including any that are made to an aquaculture facility, must be reported by fishermen directly to Marine Scotland. It is an offence to fail to do so and where conditions are breached Marine Scotland can take enforcement action which may lead to vessels losing access to the wrasse fishery.