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Showing 36 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Amendment 154 is a probing amendment, the purpose of which is to find where the responsibility lies for dealing with sea lice. As members know, the wild salmon fisheries interests are extremely interested in having a means of controlling sea lice in and around fish farms. Sea ...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Sea Cage Fish Farming

It is important to find out whether the research that is being undertaken by the Executive is sufficiently rigorous. One of the areas where that research has been identified as not being rigorous enough in the past is in relation to sea lice and their effects on wild salmon st...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

I have a couple of questions about sea lice. I refer the minister to what he wrote about sea lice control in his letter to Nora Radcliffe. In that letter, minister, you refer to the scope of the proposed water environment and water services bill. You say that"it is clear that ...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Chamber

Indeed—and salmon mousse to follow as well.In the region that I represent, especially in the remote areas of the west Highlands and the Western Isles and Northern Isles, the aquaculture industry puts £100 million into local pay packets. I am totally committed to its survival—i...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

In the seminar that I chaired at the aquaculture conference last week there was an extremely lively discussion of what we should do with sea lice. The seminar included someone from an environmental group, a representative of a firm that makes a well-known brand of medicine for...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

It is important that we move quickly to sort out the industry. My fear is that a big, lengthy inquiry would put the issue off. It has been on the go since long before the Scottish Parliament was set up. I have been aware of the issues around fish farming and aquaculture for a ...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

You will be aware that we are still researching this issue and are trying to determine whether we should have a national strategy on it. What is your view on that?You have touched on the conflicting evidence relating to whether sea lice should be controlled under the Diseases ...

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): Lab Chamber

A large part of my time during the previous session of the Parliament was taken up with aquaculture; I think that the same can be said for quite a few others in the chamber today. Along with Robin Harper, I was a reporter on the Transport and the Environment Committee during t...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Thank you. My next question is about sea lice. We all know about the problem of treating sea lice if the Scottish Environment Protection Agency says that the discharge consents have been used up. What would happen if an inspector said that a cage needed treatment but SEPA said...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I return to sea lice again, I am afraid. What do organic salmon farmers do about sea lice? Presumably, an organic farm will have a different regime from a non-organic farm.

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

There appears to be confusion—perhaps on our part or on yours—about the Executive's intentions for managing sea lice. Will you outline which organisations will have responsibility for managing sea lice and regulating treatments? Under which legislation will that fall?

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): Lab Chamber

Question Time · Aquaculture

I appreciate what the minister has said in his two replies today, but there is a perception among those who are concerned with wild salmon fisheries that the Executive is not taking seriously the effect of sea lice. Does the minister agree that there is evidence that sea lice ...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Chamber

Finance and Public Services and Communities · Wild Atlantic Salmon

The minister is aware that the impact of sea lice from salmon in fish cages is believed to hinder the regeneration of wild salmon stocks. Does he recall that, in the recent debate on aquaculture, mention was made of the urgent need to increase the number of different lice trea...

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): Lab Chamber

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

It gives me great satisfaction to speak in support of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill, which is the culmination of years of hard work by all those with an interest in the industry, including members and clerks of two parliamentary committees—the Transport and the...

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): Lab Chamber

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill

The bill has been a long haul, not just from when it was first introduced in Parliament or even from when the first consultation began, but from when the Parliament, in the shape of the former Transport and the Environment Committee, and the Executive began to interrogate and ...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

So the fish would stay covered in lice. I presume that they would not be slaughtered. What would happen to them? I understand that that might happen only very rarely, but it is a theoretical possibility.

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I know that fish having sea lice on them is not such a drastic situation, but you do not consider that a parallel situation.

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

What is SEPA's view on the regulation of sea lice treatments? The vets have told us that they feel under pressure because of environmental regulations. What balance should be struck on this matter?

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

What would happen if a new medicine had to be introduced? Current medicines can run out of steam. If sea lice were to become resistant to them, how long would it take to get to a similar stage with a new medicine?

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I am interested to hear that you are using wrasse. Their use was being tried some years ago, when our predecessor committee was conducting an inquiry into salmon farming. I was told then that the problem was that wrasse ate the salmon as well as the lice.

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I am glad to hear that. Richard Slaski flagged up a problem with sea lice and halibut. Is that serious, or was it just an aside?

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): Lab Committee

I am still thinking about my questions on sea lice that we talked about in private session, so I am not quite up to speed.I hope that everybody has had a chance to consider the petitions. The basic problem was that the Scottish Homing Union was concerned about predations by ra...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Sea Cage Fish Farming

I want to ask about the control of sea lice in fish cages. There is a need to monitor the chemicals that are used. I want to know about the use of sea wrasse as a biological control. I know that some work was done on that in the past, but I do not know whether the results were...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

I will press the issue of transparency of AMAs. We are hearing that the aquaculture industry is not terribly keen to have certain information divulged and that that is why everything must be conducted behind closed doors. However, there is a demand for more transparency, parti...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

One of the organisations from which we had evidence last week did not want to go down that road because it would separate out the sea lice problem from the chemical treatment problem. Will you address that? You would presumably still have powers over chemical treatment.

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

One regime would say, "Treat your sea lice." SEPA would say, "No, you cannot".

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

Will the new transparency also apply to the Executive? I ask because commercial interests are not the only ones that are accused of not being transparent. I have heard stories about the Fisheries Research Service in Aberdeen asking river proprietors to electrofish monitor for ...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

I am aware that time is marching on, so I do not want to expand the discussion too much, but I have a point about the synchronisation of treatment. The witnesses talked about fallowing rather than synchronising therapeutic treatments. The industry argues that if therapeutic tr...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

I was in Orkney at the same time as Robin Harper. I have seen photographs of sea trout almost eaten alive by sea lice. I am aware of the problem in Scapa. On the other hand, eight families have moved to Raasay because of a fish farm development there. The need to strike a bala...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

Kenny Black mentioned a few minutes ago that the priorities were modelling for assimilative capacity and, as we have discussed, research into sea lice. I presume that Dr Shelton and Professor Richards would agree with that. Who do you think should undertake such research and d...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

I have one supplementary question about sea lice.

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

I will ask about research into sea lice. The in-feed treatment seems to be the flavour of the month just now, although perhaps it does not taste all that nice.

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

Who is responsible for saying, "There are too many sea lice here"?

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Aquaculture Inquiry

I am anxious that we do not get into a situation where the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. I do not want one branch of an organisation or of the Executive to say, "You must do something about sea lice," while SEPA says, "No, we cannot put any medicines in...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Committee

Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I am pleased that the minister has given a commitment to deal with the problem of sea lice and I acknowledge that amendment 154 would probably not be the best way of doing that. I seek to withdraw amendment 154, on the understanding that the Executive is addressing the problem...

Maureen Macmillan: Lab Chamber

North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation

I was just saying that the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation has an important role to play in sustaining the king of fish, the wild north Atlantic salmon, which brings such benefits to the economy of many parts of rural Scotland. We congratulate the organisation,...

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Committee

Transport and the Environment Committee, 11 Dec 2002

11 Dec 2002 · S1 · Transport and the Environment Committee

Item of business

Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Macmillan, Maureen Lab Highlands and Islands Watch on SPTV

Amendment 154 is a probing amendment, the purpose of which is to find where the responsibility lies for dealing with sea lice. As members know, the wild salmon fisheries interests are extremely interested in having a means of controlling sea lice in and around fish farms. Sea lice can proliferate and, if unnaturally large numbers occur, a devastating effect can result on migrant wild salmon, especially on smolts as they go out to sea.The depredation of sea lice is thought to be one of the factors that have led to the decline in wild salmon and sea trout numbers. The problems for the wild salmon fisheries interest is that there is no regulation to control sea lice numbers, and if the proliferation of organisms that cause harm were included in the definition of pollution, SEPA would be responsible for issuing orders to control sea lice. That would mean that SEPA would have to regulate both the instances of lice and the treatment that is necessary to deal with them, although I realise that SEPA may not want to be in that position. However, many people believe that the dual role would be an advantage.If that is not acceptable to the minister, will he tell the committee how sea lice are to be dealt with? Sea lice are not classified as a fish disease, so if they are not classified as a pollutant, how can they be dealt with?I move amendment 154.

In the same item of business

The Convener: Lab

The next item on our agenda is stage 2 consideration of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill. We hope to conclude our stage 2 considerati...

Section 20—Regulation of controlled activities

The Convener: Lab

The first amendment for debate today is amendment 70, in the name of the minister, which is grouped with amendments 71, 72, 200, 73, 74, 75 and 76.

The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Allan Wilson): Lab

Amendment 70 will remove from section 20(3)(d) of the bill the reference to such works"which are liable to have an adverse impact on the status of the water"...

The Convener: Lab

Thank you, minister. I am sure that you are fair and equitable in every action that you undertake.I invite Jamie McGrigor to speak to amendment 200 and to an...

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): Con

I wish to address only amendment 200. I appreciate that in the minister's opinion amendment 200 is unnecessary. I hope that that will be the case, but amendm...

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): Lab

When the Executive is discussing with industry what would be fair and equitable charges, will those discussions take into account the effect on hydroelectric...

The Convener: Lab

As no other members wish to speak to the group of amendments, I invite the minister to respond to the debate.

Allan Wilson: Lab

I covered the points that I wanted to make in my opening remarks. Our intention is to enable the regulators to recover the costs of operating the control reg...

The Convener: Lab

Amendment 70 agreed to.

The Convener: Lab

Does Nora Radcliffe wish to move amendment 51?

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): LD

Yes. Five amendments are consequential on amendment 32, which was agreed to. Although the Executive plans to lodge an alternative amendment at stage 3, it is...

The Convener: Lab

At this stage, the member can only move or not move the amendment.

Amendment 51 moved—Nora Radcliffe.

The Convener: Lab

The question is, that amendment 51 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

The Convener: Lab

There will be a division.

ForCrawford, Bruce (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)Harper, Robin (Lothians) (Green)McLeod, Fiona (West of Scotland) (SNP)Radcliffe, Nora (Gordon) (LD)Scott, Joh...

The Convener: Lab

The result of the division is: For 5, Against 4, Abstentions 0.

Amendment 51 agreed to.

Amendment 52 moved—Nora Radcliffe.

The Convener: Lab

The question is, that amendment 52 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

The Convener: Lab

There will be a division.

ForCrawford, Bruce (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)Harper, Robin (Lothians) (Green)McLeod, Fiona (West of Scotland) (SNP)Radcliffe, Nora (Gordon) (LD)Scott, Joh...

The Convener: Lab

The result of the division is: For 5, Against 4, Abstentions 0.

Amendment 52 agreed to.

Amendment 53 moved—Nora Radcliffe.

The Convener: Lab

The question is, that amendment 53 be agreed to. Are we agreed?