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
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 welfare of the vertebrate that is being used as bait.As Ted Brocklebank suggested, the biodiversity issue could perhaps be addressed by the practice, which the pike anglers have mentioned, of using as live bait only fish that were caught from the same waters on the same day. I have had a lot of correspondence from pike anglers. I went on to their website and the first thing that I came across was a demonstration of fishing with dead bait, but an angler has assured me that at particular times of year the sport is much better with live bait.However, I think that using vertebrates as bait raises a fish welfare issue. I want it to be put on the record that I support angling and I would never intend in a month of Sundays to introduce an amendment to ban the use of invertebrates as bait—they are a completely different category. Previous animal welfare legislation that has been considered and passed by the Parliament recognises that different category, but I think that the use of vertebrates as bait raises a welfare issue. Therefore, I support amendment 9 and intend to vote against amendment 9A. I recognise the strongly held views of others, but in all conscience I must support amendment 9.
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.