Seòmar agus comataidhean

A significant amount of work on the 21 Scottish-led Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) has been completed. This work is complex and requires further stakeholder engagement and consultation. The Marine Directorate has undertaken pre-consultation with stakeholders which will inform the first formal consultation planned for autumn 2025. Discussions with stakeholders were held last year and, more recently, in February, May and June, we held workshops on demersal and Nephrops FMPs with plans for further workshops on pelagic FMPs in the coming months. The fisheries policy authorities intend to deliver the FMPs according to the timescales set out in Annex A of the Joint Fisheries Statement by the end of 2026.

For offshore Marine Protected Areas, the Scottish Government has completed its public consultation on proposed fisheries management measures and published the consultation analysis. The Scottish Government expects to announce the final measures in autumn 2025, with implementation to follow within the same calendar year. For inshore Marine Protected Areas, the Scottish Government is completing the necessary statutory assessments and aims to consult on proposed measures in the coming months

Agricultural businesses, including crofters and small farmers, which are registered on the Scottish Government’s Rural Payments and Services website may apply to the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS). The scheme has now closed for applications in 2025, and detail of the 2026 round will be shared in late 2025.

An important feature of the scheme is a scoring system designed to avoid discrimination against smaller businesses, including crofters. This aims to promote applications by small businesses by awarding three additional points where the application value is less than £20,000.

Where an applicant’s business has less than 30 hectares, some beneficiaries are able to access small unit supplementary payments across many of the options over and above the income foregone payments for AECS options. This enables some businesses of less than 30 hectares to access important socio-economic options like native breed cattle introduction and retention.

An additional scoring uplift is also offered where two or more applicants intend to deliver an option collaboratively. This is available to all eligible applicants, including smaller businesses, crofters and common grazing committees.

As set out in the Agricultural Reform Route Map, AECS is expected to continue up to at least 2026 to deliver elements of Tier 3 until the new Elective support is implemented.

Opportunities to improve the equity of access to future support across all business sizes and types will be considered as part of the Agricultural Reform Programme. As part of this, a review of the AECS scoring system will be undertaken. We remain committed to co-designing the development of future support structures and delivery with rural partners, and this includes how existing schemes will transition to the four-tier model. It is right that we take the time necessary to develop the detail of our policies with the people directly affected by them, which is important if we are to deliver on our commitment to a just transition for our farmers and crofters. Following this process, further detail will be shared in due course.

Currently, grants are available to bring about distinct and durable improvement in the quality of permanent pasture. Soil analysis is also eligible for grant aid as part of an acceptable scheme.

Throughout 2024, officials worked with stakeholders on the CAGS Stakeholder Group to discuss changes to the operation of the scheme. These changes, implemented in 2025, included the introduction of standard costs for the likes of fencing and agricultural buildings. The next stage will focus on the type of projects supported, to ensure the CAGS aligns with the future support framework and the Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture.

We continue to provide Scotland’s farmers, crofters and land managers with the most generous package of direct support in the UK, investing over £660 million in support to agriculture. Support schemes such as the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme, the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme and the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme all help to support our sheep producers.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 provides the powers to create a new future payment framework and this approach provides future flexibility to respond to geopolitical, economic, climate and nature challenges which will enable rural communities to thrive. The purposes for which support can be provided are specified within Schedule 1 of the Act, which includes wool, and is aimed at providing the flexibility to support all our producers.

We are supporting farmers and crofters to realise the vision for agriculture and the 2025-26 budget allocates more than £665 million for the purpose of supporting farmers, land managers, rural communities and rural businesses . We are continuing to co-develop the future support with stakeholders to ensure conditions fit appropriately to work for the industry and deliver to the Vision for Agriculture.

We have to date made a number of relevant announcements including the launch of the Whole Farm Plan, changes to SSBSS and changes to Greening which all contribute to delivery of the Vision for Agriculture. The future iterative progression of the Vision and its associated timeline can be found detailed within the Agricultural Routemap which is updated regularly to ensure people know what changes are coming and when those changes will happen.

Seafood Scotland plays a pivotal part in the portrait of Scottish success. It offers invaluable support to businesses across the entire seafood supply chain - from wild caught fisheries to aquaculture producers, processors to retailers. It is also vital in supporting and promoting Scotland's world-class seafood industry. Of course, sustainability is key, and a healthy marine environment is the foundation upon which this prosperity is built.

Seafood Scotland is at the forefront of Sustainability in Scotland, through various schemes, projects and attending major industry trade shows. Just last year Seafood Scotland partnered with the Global Seafood Alliance to host the Responsible Seafood Summit, and this year launched the Scottish Ocean Cluster, representing a bold new approach to maximising the value and sustainability of our seafood industry. They also provide crucial outreach, such as the education and training for chefs globally to foster a deeper appreciation for the quality and sustainability of Scotland's seafood, and in Scotland they have revived their impactful Seafood in Schools program.

Scottish Government funding investment through Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) is a signal of the importance we place in their role delivering for industry, supporting a wide range of initiatives that drive innovation, enhance sustainability, and build greater prosperity in our marine industries. The MFS application contains Key Performance Indicators and Seafood Scotland are required to submit reports commenting on progress towards & achievement of these.

As confirmed in the recently finalised Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach, we will revisit the Freight Fares Review in the medium to long term.

Further details on revisiting the Freight Fares Review to explore ferry freight issues in more detail, considering all routes including to and from Colonsay, will be confirmed in due course.

In determining an application for a licence, NatureScot must consider whether the hunt is sustainable, in that it would not have an adverse effect on the conservation status of the species concerned, namely gannets.

In the case of the Guga Hunt licence issued this year, NatureScot have confirmed that a population viability analysis of the gannets at Sula Sgeir was completed and considered as part of their assessment prior to issuing the licence.

In issuing a licence to permit the taking of 500 gugas, NatureScot have concluded that this number will allow the gannet population to continue to recover and enable a sustainable future take. The previous licence issued in 2018 was for 2000 birds.

Under s.2(4) of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, the Scottish Ministers are required to publish a list of habitats and species of principal importance within 12 months of the publication of a Scottish biodiversity strategy, known as the Scottish Biodiversity List. It will have particular relevance for public bodies applying their biodiversity duties.

Work to complete the list is ongoing and it would not therefore be appropriate to say definitively that species-rich grasslands will be included. However, various types of species-rich grassland are included in the current Scottish Biodiversity List.

The term ‘irreplaceable habitat’ is not used in Scotland and is primarily associated with the Natural England biodiversity metric.

The Scottish Government’s guidance on Welfare at the time of Killing in Salmon Farming is based on the recommendations made by the UK Government's Animal Welfare Committee and developed in conjunction with the Scottish farmed salmon industry, Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) and animal welfare organisations.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter very seriously. This welfare is assured by the requirement at Article 3.1 of retained Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 that ‘animals shall be spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering during their killing and related operations’. We have no current plans to introduce further legislation.