Committee
Environment and Rural Development Committee, 31 Jan 2007
31 Jan 2007 · S2 · Environment and Rural Development Committee
Item of business
Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
The consultations at an earlier stage dealt with angling as a whole, so it is not surprising that 79 per cent of respondents were in favour of and 19 per cent were against the proposals put forward by the minister. The 19 per cent probably encapsulates many of the coarse fishers who in some cases fish for predatory species such as pike, whereas the vast majority of people do not fish for predatory species. That is the issue. The fact that the majority is in favour of the position that the minister states is obvious because it reflects what the majority of fisherpeople do, but we are talking here about a different category of fishers, who have a legitimate case. The issue was sprung on the committee when that group realised that they were not being catered for by the amendments proposed and by the discussion that had taken place previously. That is why amendment 9A has been lodged. The issue is not that there is a majority and a minority; there are two different kinds of fishing.However, I point out that all that amendment 9A would do is to allow exemptions to be made to the ban on the use of live vertebrates as bait. That addition to amendment 9 would mean that the ban would still be included in the bill but the provision would take into account the differences between the sports concerned.The committee listened to the contributions from the coarse fishing group and so on without the knowledge of some of the papers that have since been circulated in e-mails. We would do well to take that information on board because, to my way of thinking, some of what the minister has said is a smokescreen. I can understand why the minister thinks that amendment 9 will be sufficient, but I do not think that any of her comments have addressed the interests of the pike fishermen. It would be a good idea if we addressed their interests and recognised the separate nature of that fishing.I am not a fisher myself, but I recognise the clear logic of the pike fishermen's case. I think that amendment 9A would help us to tackle the issue.I move amendment 9A.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Maureen Macmillan):
Lab
Good morning. I remind everyone to switch off their mobile phones and ensure that their Blackberrys do not interfere with the sound system. I welcome members...
Section 20 agreed to.
Section 21—Rod and line
The Convener:
Lab
Amendment 9, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendment 9A.
The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Sarah Boyack):
Lab
As colleagues will recall, section 25 contains an enabling provision that allows ministers to make subordinate legislation to"prohibit the use of specified b...
The Convener:
Lab
In the absence of Richard Lochhead, I ask Rob Gibson to move amendment 9A and speak to the other amendment in the group.
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
The consultations at an earlier stage dealt with angling as a whole, so it is not surprising that 79 per cent of respondents were in favour of and 19 per cen...
Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
Like Rob Gibson, I am not a fisherman. When the matter came up in our evidence-gathering session, I did not know too much about the subject and I went along ...
Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green):
Green
I support amendment 9, first for the reasons to do with biodiversity that the minister mentioned and, secondly, for reasons to do with animal welfare—the wel...
Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD):
LD
The minister's opening statement was helpful in setting out what is proposed and why, and the genesis of the proposal. I have thought long and hard about the...
Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab):
Lab
I was going to make two of the points that Nora Radcliffe made, so I will not speak about them, other than to emphasise the point about Ted Brocklebank's com...
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
Several issues have been raised, which I will try to deal with one at a time. In opposing amendment 9, neither Rob Gibson nor Ted Brocklebank engaged on the ...
Rob Gibson:
SNP
I am well aware of the biodiversity issues. My party has supported the protection of the powan in Loch Lomond and we are concerned that, in the Highlands and...
The Convener:
Lab
The question is, that amendment 9A be agreed to. Are we agreed?
Members:
No.
The Convener:
Lab
There will be a division.
ForBrocklebank, Mr Ted (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)Gibson, Rob (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)AgainstMacmillan, Maureen (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)Morrison,...
The Convener:
Lab
The result of the division is: For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0.
Amendment 9A disagreed to.
Amendment 9 agreed to.
Section 21, as amended, agreed to.
Sections 22 to 25 agreed to.
After section 25
The Convener:
Lab
Amendment 10, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 11 to 16.
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
I will explain why we want to introduce a system of administrative penalties for certain sea fisheries offences. We wish to improve the effectiveness of sanc...
The Convener:
Lab
No member has indicated that they wish to speak. It is unnecessary for the minister to wind up, as she has given a full explanation of the amendments.
Amendment 10 agreed to.
Amendments 11 to 16 moved—Sarah Boyack—and agreed to.
Before section 26
The Convener:
Lab
Amendment 17, in the name of the deputy minister, is grouped with amendment 23.