Seòmar agus comataidhean

Do members have any questions?

Our third item of business is consideration of a negative Scottish statutory instrument. I welcome back to the meeting Mairi Gougeon, and I welcome her officials Allan Gibb, who is chief negotiator for international fisheries, and Dr Coby Needle, who is the chief fisheries adviser for Scotland. I invite the cabinet secretary to make an opening statement.

Following on from a point that Ariane Burgess raised, the business regulatory impact assessment states, among other things, that

“additional scientific data gathering in the Clyde region would be beneficial, yet under current resource constraints this is not possible.”

Cabinet secretary, you will recall that I have raised the issue of marine directorate resource in the past. Will you say something about that?

There are a couple of supplementary questions.

If there are no other questions, we will move to the formal consideration of the motion to approve the instrument. I invite the cabinet secretary to move motion S6M-12052.

Motion moved,

That the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee recommends that the Scottish Food Commission (Appointment) Regulations 2024 be approved.—[Mairi Gougeon]

Does any member wish to speak in the debate on the motion?

That completes our consideration of the instrument. I thank the cabinet secretary and her officials for attending, and I suspend the meeting briefly to allow for a changeover of officials.

You will appreciate that some of the representations that we have received are about the impact being disproportionate on a small number of fishers, as you have pointed out.

On the evidence, has the marine directorate taken account of PhD research that is being undertaken at the University of Strathclyde and supervised by Professor Mike Heath? An abstract of the research was sent to the marine directorate. How much account has been taken of that information?

Thank you.

How would something such as hand diving for scallops impact spawning areas?