Chamber and committees

Yes, it would be adhered to. That measure is more about efficiency. It is important to remember that the framework includes a memorandum of understanding, which determines how we would address any potential conflicts or issues and the stage at which those would be dealt with. However, we do not anticipate that being an issue. As I said, the matter was subject to a lot of discussion when the LCM was considered.

Yes, I am happy to do that. It would not be for the JFS to set out the detail of how that will be delivered; as I said, it sets out the high-level policy ambitions. Ultimately, it is the policies and the delivery mechanisms that we introduce that will achieve the objectives that are set out in the act.

You correctly referred to the future catching policy. I mentioned in a previous response how that meets the other objectives. In relation to the bycatch objective, the technical and spatial measures that we have set out as part of the consultation will help us to deliver on the bycatch objective. Those measures are out to consultation. We have developed the proposals in consultation with our stakeholders and with industry. It is crucial that the policy that we introduce will work and will be effective in tackling the issues. The future catching policy is out to consultation, and we will consider any correspondence that comes in as a result of that.

Allan Gibb would like to come in on that point, too.

We have set out a high level of ambition in the JFS because it shows our ambitions for our fishing industry and marine environment. We want to have a profitable industry and, as part of that, a healthy marine environment. It sets out a world-leading ambition.

There have been concerns expressed by various stakeholders about specific details that are not included in the statement. However, as I said in my opening statement, not only is it important that we have the overall high-level ambitions that we seek to achieve and that we are aligned on them, but it is vital that it is up to each Administration to determine and set out how the policy objectives will be achieved and that, in that sense, the JFS respects devolution.

The committee will be aware of the statement that I made to Parliament last week, which is a good example of that. In that statement, I set out what we intend to do on our future catching policy and remote electronic monitoring. Those two policies are out to consultation at the moment. That shows how we are actively delivering on the ambitions that have been set out in the JFS and how we intend to deliver on them through the strategies and policies that we have set out. We will continue to do that.

Yes. Transparency and accountability are important.

It is important to remember that, as part of the process, there will be regular reviews of and reports on the JFS and the fisheries management plans that we will introduce. I think that there will be a review every three years and a report every six years. Therefore, we will have to show how we have achieved the policy ambitions that are in the JFS.

I come back to the point that we have a strong track record of co-management and working with our stakeholders. As I said, the Clyde cod closure is an example of where that did not work, which we have accepted. We want to learn lessons from that. It is important that we do that and that we work with our stakeholders to implement the policies and the objectives that are set out in the JFS.

I am not aware that those discussions have taken place yet. I do not know whether Allan Gibb or Paul McCarthy can provide any more information on that.

The future catching policy and remote electronic monitoring take us a huge step forward in relation to meeting the objectives. As I said earlier, there are eight objectives in the legislation. I will not run through them all now but I referred to the technical and spatial measures in a previous response to Mercedes Villalba. Those relate to how we will deliver on the bycatch, ecosystem and climate change objectives, together with REM and the management measures that we are looking to develop, which will also deliver on the sustainability, precautionary and scientific objectives. We can meet quite a lot of the objectives through what we plan to deliver via the two policies. As I set out the other week, there is a step change in respect of our leading the world with some of the measures that we are looking to introduce.

Do you mean the objectives within the—

I cannot set out a definitive timescale on that yet, for the reasons that I have outlined. Dealing with the stocks that you mentioned and the non-quota stocks is very complex. We have a long list of FMPs that we seek to develop and deliver for the stocks that we have mentioned in the JFS. That is not to say that what you suggest will never happen, but I cannot give you a definitive timescale for that work yet.

I would reflect on some of the comments that I made earlier about what the JFS is there to do, about the overall framework and about the high-level ambitions that have been set out in relation to that. I do not think that it would be appropriate to have those explicit provisions within the JFS, as I think it should ultimately be up to the fisheries administrations and authorities to determine how quota and fishing opportunities should be allocated. Obviously, we must adhere to what is in the Fisheries Act 2020 in relation to that, as set out in section 25.

It is important that devolution is respected in that regard and that we have the flexibilities to consider what has been set out, as individual administrations and authorities. Given some of the issues that could potentially arise, if such considerations were included in the JFS, they could almost be subject to a UK veto, with other Administrations having an impact on how we allocate or distribute our own fishing opportunities. It is important that we have that high-level vision but also that we have the powers and are able to deliver what works best for our industry here, according to how we think the quota and opportunities should be allocated and distributed.