Hansard

The first new petition is PE2110, which was lodged by Charles Millar. It calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to develop and introduce a statutory fisheries management plan that is focused on protecting wild wrasse stocks in Scottish waters, beginning with a data collection exercise and introduction of precautionary fishery management measures ahead of the next fishing season, which commences in May 2025. The petitioner tells us that wrasse are used as a cleaner fish to tackle lice in aquaculture facilities, and that their unusual reproductive patterns make them vulnerable to overcatching. The SPICe briefing notes that there “is currently no Total Allowable Catch ... applied to commercial wrasse fishing”. That means that “there is no limit to the number of wrasse above a certain size limit ... which can be fished during the fishing season”, which runs between 1 May and 30 November each year. In its response to the petition, the Scottish Government highlights the mandatory management measures that were introduced in 2021. Those require Scottish vessels to successfully apply, on an annual basis, for a letter of derogation from the Scottish ministers in order to fish for wrasse. The response also refers to the UK joint fisheries statement, which contains “a statutory commitment for the production of 43 Fisheries Management Plans”. The Scottish Government indicates that it is “unable to confirm or commit to the production of additional” fisheries management plans “beyond those that are currently in development”. We have also received a submission from the petitioner expressing concern that “the mandatory measures ... are insufficient to ensure the sustainability of” the wrasse fishery. The submission also highlights the development of a wrasse fisheries management plan for England. Ahead of today’s meeting, we have received an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands indicating that the Government will be undertaking “an appropriate assessment” of wrasse fishing interactions, along with assessments of special areas of conservation and marine protected areas, ahead of the next fishing season opening in May 2025. The cabinet secretary’s update prompted a late submission from the petitioner, which has been circulated to members. It raises concerns that the Scottish Government received a report that was mentioned in the cabinet secretary’s submission in 2020, but has failed to act on it until now. Members will also have noted that the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee is exploring issues relating to wrasse fishing as part of its consideration of amendments to the joint fisheries statement and its follow-up inquiry on the salmon farming industry. Therefore, the Government will—however belatedly—do something in respect of the monitoring of all this. I wonder whether colleagues feel that that leads us in a particular direction.