Seòmar agus comataidhean

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with Open Seas whilst the fishing industry were present as part of the discussion, since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with Friends of the Earth Scotland whilst the fishing industry were present as part of the discussion, since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland whilst the fishing industry were present as part of the discussion, since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with the Marine Conservation Society whilst the fishing industry were present as part of the discussion, since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.

Myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity have not met formally with the Scottish Wildlife Trust whilst the fishing industry were present as part of the discussion, since we were appointed to our roles in May 2024.

Fishing can be a challenging and unpredictable livelihood, and we recognise the importance of supporting our fishing communities.

No specific support has been targeted at fishers' families or partners, however, we have continued to make funding available through our Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) to support young fishers and to secure the long-term viability of the industry and provide resilience for the workforce. Between 2021 -2024 MFS has awarded 37 young fishers over £2.5 million in grants to enable them to purchase their first fishing vessel (or a share in a vessel). We have provided support of £5 million in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to help the farming, fishing, food and drink sector recover from Brexit and COVID-19.

In 2023 we carried out further research into factors affecting fishers’ decision making and the report is available here - What factors influence the strategies and choices of Scottish fishers? A feasibility study.

This research found that family life, wellbeing, and working conditions are important considerations when fishers decide whether to leave or stay in the industry.

This is still a topic of interest where further research and insight in collaboration with industry and the research communities would be welcomed.

Tackling inequality is a top priority for Scottish Ministers and this is evident across much of the Scottish Government’s work.

The goal of the Women in Scottish Fisheries report was to challenge and raise women’s profile, but we recognise that the views on equality and fair employment in fishing communities remain complex with many women taking on significant but informal or unpaid roles.

We have continued to make funding available through our Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) to support young fishers to enter the fishing industry and to secure the resilience and long-term viability of the industry. Between 2021 and 2024 MFS has awarded 37 young fishers over £2.5 million in grants to enable them to purchase their first fishing vessel (or a share in a vessel).

The Women in Scottish Fisheries report provides a thorough overview of the importance of women across the industry and specifies that creating an attractive, safe and supportive environment for women, might direct us towards achieving a more equitable, and sustainable industry overall.

This remains a live topic that the Scottish Government is keen to explore in the future and we encourage industry to take the lead to bring about change wherever possible. We recognise that some actions may need to be initiated by government and we want to explore options for collaborative working and for actions to be developed in partnership with the fishing industry.

The Scottish Government is supporting early adopters of new technology to deliver on emission targets and we have provided over £500,000 Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) support since 2021 for individual projects contributing to fuel efficiencies. Of this, over £43,000 was for vessels to convert to electric power and over £42,000 to explore options for larger vessels.

As we progress towards identifying solutions to support Net Zero targets, many of the actions that are required will need to be developed and initiated by the fishing industry and others in the private sector. Regulators and policy makers also need to identify and remove barriers where this is possible.