- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the impact of seal populations on the stocks of freshwater fish such as the Atlantic salmon.
Answer
I have requested specific advice on this issue from the Natural Environment Research Council as part of their advice on management of seal populations for this current year.
Meanwhile a range of individual research projects are currently underway to investigate different aspects of the interactions between seals and fish. These include investigations into seals and salmon on the River Conon and into the feeding habits and movements of seals in Lochs Shieldaig and Torridon in relation to the movements of salmonid fishes. Possible collaborative research between the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St. Andrews and SERAD Fisheries Research Services is under consideration.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive which Scottish Statutory Instruments relating to fisheries laid before the Scottish Parliament have not also been laid at Westminster.
Answer
No Scottish Statutory Instruments are laid before Westminster. However, there have been a number of Scottish Statutory Instruments relating to fisheries for which no equivalent legislation has yet been laid in Westminster. These are:
The Shellfish (Specification of Molluscs and Crustaceans)(Scotland) Order 1999
The Shetland Islands Regulated Fishery (Scotland) Order 1999
The River Forth Salmon Fishery District (Baits and Lures) Regulations 1999
The River Don Salmon Fishery District (Baits and Lures) Regulations 1999
The Loch Moidart, North Channel, Scallop Several Fishery (Scotland) Order 2000
The Sea Fishing (Specified Sea Areas) (Regulation of Nets and Other Fishing Gear) (Scotland) Order 2000
The Prohibition of Fishing with Multiple Trawls (Scotland) Order 2000
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been lodged in the last five years for licences to shoot seals in Scotland's rivers during close seasons under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 and how many of these were granted.
Answer
Under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, a total of 31 applications for licences to shoot seals during close seasons were lodged with the Scottish Executive in the last five years (1995-99 inclusive). 24 of these applications were granted.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the recommendations made in the Scottish Salmon Strategy Task Force's 1997 report have been implemented and whether there are any plans to implement any further recommendations in the future.
Answer
I shall be arranging for a note to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre setting down the current position on the recommendations in the report.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive which international bodies are concerned with the protection of wild fish stocks; on how many of these it is entitled to be represented; how often each such body has met in the last five years; when each is next due to meet, and who attended each meeting on its behalf.
Answer
There are a number of bodies concerned with the protection of wild fish stocks: that with specific responsibility for wild salmon is the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO). One of the contracting parties to NASCO is the European Union whose delegate from the European Commission is supported by member states. The Scottish Executive is normally represented by the head of the relevant Division in the Rural Affairs Department and by the Inspector of Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries.
NASCO meets normally once a year. Its next annual general meeting is due to be held in June 2001.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated economic value of the freshwater fisheries sector, including angling, has been in each of the last five years and whether there are any plans to measure its current or projected economic contribution.
Answer
Updating earlier studies, the Scottish Salmon Strategy Task Force estimated that the net economic value of salmon board fisheries in Scotland in 1995 was £350 million, with a range from £270 million to £430 million. Total expenditure by anglers was estimated at an additional £70 million.
A study commissioned by the Tweed Foundation in 1996 revealed that the Tweed Salmon Fisheries brought £12.5 million a year to the Borders economy. A recent study by the Western Isles Fisheries Trust, in conjunction with Western Isles Enterprise and Western Isles Council, estimates that in 1999 angling contributed £5.6 million to the local economy.
The Scottish Executive is currently seeking to encourage boards to include greater economic data in their annual reports.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to increase the number of salmon fisheries boards.
Answer
The District Salmon Fishery Board Order 1999, which came into force on 3 May 1999, amended Schedule 2 of the Salmon Act 1986 governing the composition of District Salmon Fishery Boards. The aim of the 1999 Order was to give boards greater flexibility in determining optimum size and structure. Three Designation Orders (Lochaber, Conon and North and West) have since been made and a fourth application (Western Isles) is currently under consideration.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes to facilitate discussions between fisheries boards and trusts about common practices and concerns.
Answer
Discussions between Salmon Fishery Boards and local Fishery Trusts, on which boards are represented, is a matter for the bodies concerned. However, the Scottish Executive is an active partner in the Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre which brings together Trusts and boards across much of Scotland with the aim of providing a better understanding of the national fishery resources and of encouraging collaboration and co-ordination between them and other organisations with an interest in fishery matters. In addition the Scottish Executive, through the Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory, works closely with Trust and board biologists.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance is available to fishery boards and other relevant bodies to improve river habitats with a view to encouraging an increase in wild fish stocks and whether it will detail any such awards and their recipients over the last three years for which figures are available.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage provides funding to fisheries boards, trusts and other fishery and angling bodies for a range of habitat improvement projects. Details of award during the last three financial years are provided below: Awards to other bodies are also made which benefit fish habitat.
| Organisation | Reason for Grant | Offered in Year | Year of Offer |
| West Galloway Fisheries Trust | Riverside Habitats | £6,550.00 | 1997-98 |
| River Annan District Salmon Fishery Board | Fish Environment and Habitat Improvement Works | £28,960.00 | 1998-99 |
| West Galloway Fisheries Trust | Riverside Habitat Improvement | £22,500.00 | 1998-99 |
| Garry Fishings | River Garry Clearance Phase 2 | £3,305.00 | 1998-99 |
| Wester Ross Fisheries Trust | Habitat Survey and River Management | £3,000.00 | 1999-2000 |
| Wester Ross Fisheries Trust | Habitat Survey and River Management | £3,000.00 | 1999-2000 |
| Awe Fisheries Trust | Habitat Survey in Rivers Orchy, Kinglass, Etive | £4,500.00 | 1999-2000 |
| Garry Fishings | River Garry Clearance Phase 3 | £5,700.00 | 1999-2000 |
| River Annan District Salmon Fishery Board | Habitat Enhancement Scheme | £37,971.25 | 2000-01 |
| Nairn District Fishery Board | Habitat Survey - River Nairn | £1,000.00 | 2000-01 |
| West Galloway Fisheries Trust | Bankside Habitat Enhancement Piltanton Burn | £2,000.00 | 2000-01 |
| West Sutherland Fisheries Trust | Habitat Surveys in West Sutherland | £2,500.00 | 2000-01 |
| | | | TOTAL: £120,986.25 |
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1926 by Mr Jack McConnell on 15 June 2000, whether the date for the next meeting of the British-Irish Council has now been set and when the decision on its location will be made.
Answer
As announced by the British and Irish Governments on 28 July, the Irish Government will host the next Summit meeting of the British-Irish Council in Dublin on Tuesday 31 October 2000.
