Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government recognises the significant and wide-ranging impacts of the decision by Bakkafrost to temporarily close its Arnish Harvest Station and Marybank Processing Facility in Stornoway.

I met with representatives of Bakkafrost Scotland on 12 July and highlighted the importance of the aquaculture sector to the islands and the negative impact on jobs, the local communities and supply chains and asked whether any further support could be provided to reverse this decision. Officials from the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have continued in dialogue with the business over recent weeks to consider all viable options to ensure that high value jobs are secured in the region.

The Scottish Government is making arrangements to speak with Bakkafrost’s senior management team, based in the Faroe Islands, as soon as possible to explore ways to mitigate the effects of this decision.

The Scottish Government’s Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) team has met the company to offer its full range of support to any employees who may be facing redundancy. PACE organised a group meeting for affected staff which was held on 7 August, with further CV/Employability workshops held on 14 and 15 August and a Jobs Fair on 16 August.

The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to commission a review of climate change risks to salmon farms, specifically in relation to higher sea temperatures. The Marine Directorate is currently collaborating with partners on a revision of the 2022 Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’s review on the impacts of climate change on aquaculture, https://www.mccip.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/Aquaculture%20Formatted_updated%20and%20returned%20by%20authors.pdf  which explores key challenges and emerging issues in this area.

Scotland’s National Adaptation Programme 3 (SNAP3) is due to be laid in Parliament later this year and will set out specific commitments to support the Fisheries and Aquaculture sectors to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) Order 2024 was laid on Thursday 11th January 2024 and the spawning closure will be in place 14 February to 30 April for 2024 and 2025, respectively.

The study undertaken by the Scottish Oceans Institute and Clyde Fishermen’s Association was not used to inform this approach.

There are no plans to alter or update the Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) Order 2024. Following the 2025 closure there will be another public consultation on the management for 2026 and 2027. That consultation will reflect on how the closure has operated since 2022, what if any factors are new or unchanged and will make recommendations for the future on that basis.

We continue to consider the recommendations made by the UK Government's Animal Welfare Committee although do not have a timescale for completing our review. However, we are continuing to work with the industry to find ways of improving and safeguarding the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter.

The Scottish Government is committed to the highest possible animal welfare standards, and improving aquaculture health and welfare is one of the main priorities embedded within our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the safety and wellbeing of displaced people from Ukraine and to providing opportunities to integrate and thrive in our communities for as long as Scotland is their home. We will continue to engage with the UK Government on issues which impact people living in Scotland, including refugees, people seeking asylum and displaced people.

Since the Homes for Ukraine scheme began, Scottish Government officials have been regularly meeting with their UK Government counterparts to share best practice and look at how we can strengthen the scheme in order to protect the safety and sustainability of sponsorship.

We will continue to engage with the new UK government to ensure a system that is effective and more humane.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-28627 on‎ 31 July 2024.

All answers to Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers .

Scotland’s national refugee integration strategy has been in place for over a decade. In March 2024 the third New Scots refugee integration strategy was published. It is a UK-leading integration approach built on a partnership led by the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council. It was informed by an engagement process involving over 2,000 refugees and people seeking asylum. The strategy is accompanied by a delivery plan setting out the actions that New Scots partners will undertake to deliver the strategy. We hope that other governments can learn from our work.

Scottish Ministers have held introductory calls with their new UK Government counterparts and we look forward to working closely with the UK Government to support delivery of a more effective and humane asylum system and resettlement schemes. We are not aware of any plans, however, to publish a UK integration strategy.

Compliance monitoring was carried out by NatureScot staff on two licences issued for the use of more than two or more dogs, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023.

On both occasions, NatureScot staff were content in the operation and there were no infringements or issues of concern.

All licences issued by NatureScot to date, for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, have been for preventing serious damage to livestock, woodlands, and crops. No licences have yet to be issued for environmental benefits.

NatureScot publishes a summary of licences issued on their website at https://www.nature.scot/doc/summary-licensing-data

Licence applications to NatureScot, for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, only requires the details of the dog handler and any potential assistants. There is no requirement for any mounted hunt associated to be named within the application.