- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider further regulating the (a) collection and reporting of data related to, (b) management of and (c) release of non-native gamebirds.
Answer
We have no current plans to legislate on (a) collection and reporting of data related to, (b) management of and (c) release of non-native gamebirds. However, as outlined in response to S6W-14758 on 1 March 2023, we plan to gather further information on the impact of non-native gamebird releases.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 6 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish the interim findings from the Green Heat Finance Taskforce.
Answer
The Green Heat Finance Taskforce will publish the interim report in spring this year. This report is one of a number of documents relating to Heat in Buildings that will be published this year, such as the Consultation on Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, introducing powers to create a regulatory framework which drives energy efficiency and zero direct emissions heating across Scotland’s building stock.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how Marine Scotland’s guidance for a European Protected Species licence in relation to the use of acoustic deterrent devices (a) accounts for the reported uneven distribution of cetaceans across the seabed and (b) has taken recent academic research on cetacean distribution into account.
Answer
All applications for a European Protected Species (EPS) licences must provide the number of individual animals affected by the proposed work, and applicants must show how this number was calculated.
Marine Scotland has published a document that provides guidance and advice for any aquaculture production business that wishes to apply for a licence to disturb EPS as a result of ADD use - faq_adds_and_eps_including_annex_1_and_annex_2_-_version_5_-october_2021_-_final.pdf (marine.gov.scot) . The guidance provides links to how areas are defined and the cetacean abundance estimates that should be used for calculations, While this document focuses on finfish farms, the information provided can be of use to anyone applying for an EPS licence.
While not published yet, Marine Scotland are in the process of updating its guidance on the use of finer scale distributions to account for uneven densities of marine mammals across SCANS blocks. Previously, the block estimates from SCANS III (Hammond et al. 2021) were recommended, however finer scale density surfaces are now available: Modelled density surfaces of cetaceans in European Atlantic waters in summer 2016 from the SCANS-III aerial and shipboard surveys (Lacey et al. 2022) . These estimates can be downloaded as shapefiles for each species here , and are considered the best available density estimates to use in EPS license assessments. Finer scale density estimates allow for a better characterisation of uneven distributions within SCANS blocks however the issue of temporal effects remains a challenge. For a specific site, there may be other, more suitable information on the cetacean species likely to be present along with their densities. However, MSS would only recommend using robust, effort-related survey data that is appropriate for absolute density estimation.
Marine Scotland bases its decisions on the best available scientific evidence at any particular time including any relevant peer reviewed literature. Any such literature is subject to a critical review to determine its applicability. Marine Scotland’s decisions will reflect the outcome of this process as well as consideration of information provided by the applicant and any expert advice received.
Marine Scotland is currently updating the above guidance to include finer resolution species density surfaces and this will be published in 2023. All applications for EPS licences will be expected to follow the updated guidance.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the available data on the numbers of gamebirds released, and number and locations of release sites, is adequate for the purposes of (a) effectively (i) assessing and (ii) controlling the spread of diseases from gamebirds to wildlife, and (b) monitoring any other environmental impacts of gamebird releases.
Answer
The Scottish Government plans to gather further information on the impact of non-native gamebird releases. Part of this work will be to consider whether further data on numbers of birds released and on location of release sites should be collected.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether its vision for sustainable aquaculture includes new salmon farms in national parks, in light of reported attempts by developers to create a salmon farm in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
Answer
The Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture is in the final stages of development in advance of publication and the contents will be available for all to consider when it is published. The Vision is intended to describe the long term ambitions that the Scottish Government has for aquaculture, with enhanced emphasis on environmental protection and community benefit. The Vision will be compatible with the planning policies on aquaculture contained in Scotland’s National Marine Plan and National Planning Framework 4.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether the number of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) tests that can be conducted on wild bird populations in Moray is constrained by any shortage of (a) funding, (b) personnel and (c) capacity.
Answer
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out year-round avian influenza surveillance of dead wild birds on behalf of the Scottish Government to inform the disease risk for domestic poultry and captive birds.
Reports of dead wild birds are triaged and not all birds will be collected. The triage process allows the Scottish Government to understand the levels of risk to poultry, other captive birds and public health and what relevant mitigation measures may be adopted commensurate to the level of risk. It was not designed to help understand how the disease impacted wild bird populations from a conservation perspective.
The Scottish Government have consulted with NatureScot and they are not aware of any resource constraints affecting HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) testing of dead wild birds in Moray. Since 16 November 2021, a total of 46 wild birds of nine species have tested positive for HPAI in Moray. Nearly all of these birds have been collected under APHA’s contract with UK Farmcare. NatureScot staff have only swabbed two birds in Moray, a pink-footed goose which was in a relatively inaccessible location and a cormorant, which NatureScot prioritised for testing and the test came back negative.
Wild bird surveillance is under review as part of the development of a Scottish HPAI wild bird response plan by NatureScot.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out its own analysis of the
potential environmental impact of a new semi-closed salmon farm in Loch Long,
and whether this analysis includes (a) energy use, (b) percentage of solid
and aqueous waste that will be captured, (c) chemical effluent, (d) stocking
density and any implications for animal welfare and disease transmission, (e) any risks to wild salmon from potential escape events and (f) reliability
of the technology, in light of it not having been tested in Scotland.
Answer
An appeal has been lodged with Scottish Ministers on behalf of Loch Long Salmon Limited against the decision by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority to refuse planning permission for a marine fish farm and associated development at Beinn Reithe, Loch Long. A reporter has been appointed to consider this appeal and is currently assessing what if any further information is required to fully consider this appeal. The planning authority has been asked to submit its response to the appeal, which will include copies of all information submitted on the application. This will include any consultation responses, including those from Marine Scotland, submitted on the planning application. Given this is a live appeal it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits or otherwise of the proposal.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) tests have been conducted for (a) wild and (b) poultry birds in Moray, since the local outbreak of HPAI began in November 2022.
Answer
(a) The current outbreak season started on 1 October 2022. As of 17 February 2023, 12 wild birds in Moray were tested for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) under the GB dead wild bird surveillance scheme. Of these, 10 were positive and consisted of one Pink footed goose, four Herring gulls and five gulls for which the species could not be specified. The two birds that tested negative were a Kestrel and a Cormorant.
(b) HPAI was confirmed at a premises in Forres, Moray, on 14 December 2022. Within the Protection Zone around the infected premises near Forres two veterinary surveillance visits were made. Both were to the same premises and sampling was carried out. On each occasion, 14 ducks were sampled, giving a total of 28 samples which all tested negative for HPAI.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what grants or other routes to investment in line with its climate change commitments, such as the Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement Scheme, are available for low-carbon transport solutions.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Budget prioritises a just transition to a net zero, climate resilient and biodiverse Scotland, with over £2.2 billion of investment in 2023-24.
The Scottish Government’s public sector climate funding map , highlighting funding opportunities in a range of areas including transport, heat and waste, is available on the Sustainable Scotland Network Website.
On the specific question on Highland Council's Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement Scheme, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13974 on 31 January 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the Risk Assessment on the spread of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) to wild birds from released, formerly captive gamebirds in Great Britain, which was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in December 2022.
Answer
The Scottish Government is examining the risk assessment conclusion in detail given the serious impact of HPAI (High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza) on wild and kept birds and will monitor risk levels and carefully consider its response over coming months.
The release of game birds is prohibited within an avian influenza protection zone and surveillance zone.
When kept there is a legal requirement to report suspicion of notifiable avian disease in game birds.
Where Special Protected Area (SPA)/Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) are designated for vulnerable species consent from NatureScot is required for release of game birds.