Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee 10 September 2025
PE2110, which was lodged by Charles Millar, 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 the introduction of precautionary fisheries management measures ahead of the next fishing season, which commences in May 2025—obviously, the petition was lodged some time ago.
We previously considered the petition on 30 October 2024, when we agreed to write to the Scottish Government. In particular, the committee was keen to find out what consideration the Scottish Government had given to the total allowable catch limits on commercial wrasse fishing and what discussions it had had with the UK Government on the development of its wrasse complex fisheries management plan, including the potential to develop similar measures in Scottish waters.
In its response of 24 December 2024, the Scottish Government indicates that it has no plans to introduce a total allowable catch limit for each of the five species of wrasse. It points to overall catch limits being applied in Norway, but it considers that, since that approach is based on a fixed point in time, it is not a valid measure of sustainability. Additionally, the Government highlights an unintended consequence of Norway’s catch limits, whereby fishers seek to land as many fish as possible before the overall limit has been reached.
The petitioner considers that a daily or weekly catch limit could be set to prevent all the fishing effort taking place at the start of the fishing season. The Scottish Government’s response also mentions that it is co-funding a PhD research studentship to investigate the appropriate principles of possible catch rules for wrasse species.
Regarding engagement with the UK Government, the Scottish Government states that it set out the selection criteria that were used for the first fisheries management plans in the joint fisheries statement. Additionally, the Government has commissioned the Seafish industry authority to undertake initial scoping work to help inform Scotland’s approach to FMPs for non-quota species, including wrasse. That work involves engagement with the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
As recently as June, the Scottish Government published the “Regulated commercial use of traps/pots to catch wrasse in Scottish inshore waters: Fisheries Assessment”. In response to that assessment, the petitioner welcomes the fact that wrasse fishery is now closed in special areas of conservation and in some nature conservation marine protected areas. However, he is disappointed that the assessment still does not include a total allowable catch stock assessment or anything relating to managing the fishery outwith those areas.
We have received a very late submission from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands—it arrived yesterday. That is quite difficult, as we have not had time to properly consider it ahead of the petition, but it touches on some of the matters that I detailed in my preamble. Do colleagues have any suggestions as to how we might proceed?