Wild Fisheries ReformAlan Wells

Background

• Old legislation – 2003 Act, but provisions carried over from 1860s and 1950s

• Focus on salmon and sea trout – less focus on other species

• Has its roots (if not modern application) in protecting and enhancing fishing rights, not the fish

• Pre-dates EU Habitats Directive and Water Framework Directive

We’ve been here before...

• Hunter Report (1965)• Government White Paper (1971)• Salmon Advisory Committee Reports (1986-96)• Maitland Report for WWF (1996)• Nickson Report (1997)• Angling for Change Report (2000)• APEM Report (2006)• Strategic Framework for Scottish Freshwater Fisheries (2008)

Review to Reform

• 2011 SNP manifesto– Committed to supporting and protecting Scotland’s famous and valuable

salmon and freshwater fisheries and to modernising the management framework

• Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2013• Independent review led by Andrew Thin• Consultation over summer 2015 on the high-level principles

underpinning these independent recommendations• Consultation analysis now published• Committed to consult before the end of the Parliamentary

term on draft provisions for a Wild Fisheries Bill

Stakeholder’s views

• Importance of ensuring an appropriate balance between national and local functions – avoiding centralisation

• Concerns about finance– Central collection of levy monies – Redistribution of levy to other areas– Need for new funding streams, particularly with a move to an all-species

remit– concern that additional costs would drive anglers away from the sport to

the detriment of angling clubs and local management organisations• FMO constitution – form should follow function

Wild Fisheries (Scotland) Bill

• Focus on major issues to be covered in the forthcoming Bill• Draft provisions – not a complete Bill

Strong Local Management

• Scottish Ministers want to ensure that the majority of fisheries management is undertaken by local organisations

• Minsters to invite prospective FMOs to apply to cover particular areas– Suitably representative of local interests– Capacity, skills and experience to do the job– Access to finance

• Becoming an approved FMO will carry significant advantages– Access to a range of powers– Also a number of responsibilities

• Scottish Ministers will have access to all of the powers within the Bill– Enable Ministers to take action where no or unsatisfactory management

is taking place

National Unit

• Andrew Thin recommended the creation of a National unit within Government to provide the system with:– Clear strategic direction– Democratically accountable regulation– Effective National Coordination

• Not centralised command and control – primary purpose would be to empower local FMOs within an agreed framework

• Scottish Ministers will have access to all of the powers within the Bill– Enable Ministers to take action where no or unsatisfactory management

is taking place

Equal coverage of all species

• Scotland is home to many species of fish, but the existing legislation focusses primarily on salmon and sea trout

• Intend to give equal protection to that already afforded to salmon and sea trout

Plan led approach

• National Wild Fisheries Strategy– Developed a draft strategy in conjunction with local and national

stakeholders• Local Fishery management Plans

– Developed by FMOs– Approved by Scottish Ministers– Delivery of national objectives and local priorities