Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-36786

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Marine Directorate plans to review restrictions on squid fishery.

Scottish Ministers have granted a limited trial to undertake a pilot project with a number of inshore vessels to help gather further information to support a longer-term policy development on fishing for squid under the North Sea Cod Avoidance Plan (NCAP).

There is currently limited evidence about the impacts of the squid fishing on cod stocks and bycatch of non-target stocks. This project would look to address some of these limitations and seek to evaluate the evidence, once collected.

Through this project, it is hoped that further information will be provided to help inform the balance between environmental, economic and social objectives and development of the squid fishery.

Question reference: S6W-35569

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Norwegian company, SalMar Aker Ocean, about an exposed offshore salmon farm development off the east coast of Shetland, in light of its current work on the consenting process for aquaculture developments such as this.

I visited Salmar Aker Ocean’s Ocean Farm One, the world’s first offshore salmon farm, in Norway in August 2023, where I learned about high farmed fish survival rates, alongside reduced environmental impacts, made possible through farming in higher energy locations.

SalMar Ocean (previously Salmar Aker Ocean) has since met with the Scottish Government to discuss the consenting process for developing a salmon farm between 3 – 12 nautical miles.

Alongside work which builds on the fish farm consenting pilots aimed at delivering improvements to our consenting system, we have also been working to address regulatory gaps and to consider the long-term policy and regulatory framework required to support ‘offshore’ salmon farming in Scotland, as committed to in our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture.

This includes our recent consultation on proposals to extend marine planning zones, to allow developers to submit planning applications for aquaculture developments out to 12 nautical miles to the relevant local planning authority. Results of the consultation are currently being analysed and will be published in due course.

Due to the innovative nature of the proposed development, Scottish Government officials and aquaculture regulators have met with the business to advise on consenting processes.

Question reference: S6W-35683

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will change the booking system for travel on the Northern Isles Ferry Service, to ensure a continual rolling system, as part of the next Northern Isles Ferry Service contract.

Question reference: S6W-35686

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the final version of the Islands Connectivity Plan will be published.

Question reference: S6W-35681

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will require the return of the option of shared cabins for passengers on the Northern Isles Ferry Service as part of the next Northern Isles Ferry Service contract.

Question reference: S6W-35687

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently working on the Islands Connectivity Plan.

Question reference: S6W-35682

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Northern Isles Ferry Service booking system will open for bookings for dates beyond 31 December 2025.

Question reference: S6W-35684

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29010 by Neil Gray on 28 August 2024, when it will confirm a start date for the review of the NHS Scotland patient travel scheme.

Question reference: S6W-35685

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed review of the NHS Scotland patient travel scheme will include the impact of local authority visitor levies on NHS patients travelling for treatment.

Question reference: S6W-35427

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35262 by Mairi Gougeon on 3 March 2025, how it will monitor and enforce the use of remote electronic monitoring for (a) Scottish vessels and (b) non-Scottish vessels, after these requirements come into force on 7 March 2026.

The Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate routinely inspect Scottish and non-Scottish vessels based on risk. Under remote electronic monitoring for pelagic vessels, this will include analysis of catch data compared with vessel capacity. Additionally, targeted analysis will be undertaken where there is relevant intelligence. Standard enforcement procedures will be invoked where offences are detected. This may include requiring pelagic vessels to facilitate an inspection at sea or in port. On occasions, it might be a requirement to detain a pelagic vessel in port, especially when the master is non-domiciled to the UK.

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