Chamber and committees

To follow on from that question, I am intrigued that five animals can be brought in in a car, whereas only three animals can be brought in by air or by a foot passenger. Will you give me an understanding of the reasons behind those figures?

Good morning, panel. We have heard a little about the effect of climate change on the movement of fish species. Professor Fernandes indicated that stocks are moving and that some stocks are doing well, with the exception of cod, which are more abundant in the northern North Sea. I am told by fishermen that there is abundant cod in the fishing grounds. The witnesses will be aware of the concern in the fishing industry about the quality of the scientific advice, including the at-sea data gathering that feeds into the annual International Council for the Exploration of the Sea assessments and, ultimately, the total allowable catches. ICES says that it is willing to engage with the fishing industry to improve data collection and the way that data is interpreted, which is good, but that takes time—possibly years.

In the meantime, North Sea demersal fisheries are mixed fisheries, with cod being caught at the same time as several other species are during typical fishing operation, and there is a situation in which there is an acute shortage of cod quota and cod abundance, which restricts the fleet’s capacity to catch species for which it has quota.

Will the witnesses say a bit more about how climate change is changing the distribution and abundance of stocks and how that impacts on the scientific evidence, which, in turn, impacts on the total allowable catches?

Agenda item 2 concerns provisions under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. I refer members to paper 2. The regulations before us are made using powers under the 2018 act. Under the protocol between the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government, the committee is required to consider whether the procedure attached to this Scottish statutory instrument is appropriate or should be changed. The regulations are subject to the negative procedure, and Scottish ministers have categorised the instrument as being of low significance, as the amendments contained in it are solely to make relatively minor amendments to the transitional arrangements in place. The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 26 October and agreed that the negative procedure was appropriate.

Is the committee content that the negative procedure is appropriate for the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Jim Fairlie has a brief supplementary question.

Dr Yeates, do you want to come in on that?

That is helpful, and it takes us neatly to our next theme, which is other UK legislation. Jim Fairlie has some questions on that.

That brings us to the end of the evidence session. I thank the witnesses for their evidence.

I will take a question from Jenni Minto and then go back to Ariane Burgess.

Who wants to respond to that?

Yes.