The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6W-44435

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of information obtained by Animal Equality UK through a Freedom of Information request, which reportedly indicates that SEPA recorded 103 non-compliances at Scottish salmon farms in 2025, representing a 243% increase on the figure recorded in 2024, including 47 classified as major non-compliances, and that three quarters of sites found to be non-compliant over the last three years remain classified as non-compliant, whether it will commit to reviewing SEPA’s enforcement powers in relation to aquaculture.

The Scottish Government has no plans to review the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) enforcement powers in relation to aquaculture.

SEPA already has a number of options in its enforcement toolkit, ranging from informal advice and guidance to the use of formal enforcement measures including final warning letters, statutory notices, monetary penalties, and reports to the Procurator Fiscal recommending prosecution.

For the purpose of environmental protection, SEPA places licence conditions on marine fish farm operators and SEPA’s enforcement action is designed to secure compliance using the most appropriate and effective method. Decisions on enforcement are taken in line with its publicly available Enforcement Policy and guidance on the use of enforcement action. The form of enforcement action (which may be used alone or in combination with other approaches) will differ depending on the nature of the non-compliance, the harm caused and the history of the responsible person in question. SEPA also considers what immediate action is needed for the protection of the environment.

Any instance of non-compliance is concerning. SEPA’s new Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (EPAS) will provide a common standard to rate the environmental performance of SEPA-authorised operators and drive improvements in compliance.

SEPA will publish EPAS ratings when its new digital systems are in place which is anticipated to be during 2027.

Question reference: S6W-44130

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation has been done on the reoffending rates of individuals who have been issued warning letters or fiscal fines for wildlife crime offences.

Data about previous convictions of individuals who have been convicted of wildlife crime is detailed in the most recent Wildlife Crime in Scotland publication which can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/wildlife-crime-in-scotland-2024/. Although the Scottish Government does not specifically undertake evaluation on the reoffending rates for those who receive an alternative to prosecution for wildlife crime offences, it does publish data on reoffending rates more broadly, which can be found here:https://www.gov.scot/publications/reconviction-rates-in-scotland-2021-22-offender-cohort/.

Question reference: S6W-44430

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of footage published on 10 March 2026 by Animal Equality UK via The Ferret depicting salmon at a Bakkafrost facility with severe sea-lice infestations resulting in significant facial tissue damage, and reports that the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carried out an investigation into the incident but did not confirm what regulatory action was subsequently taken, with Bakkafrost stating that the regulator was “satisfied” with the action taken in respect of affected fish, whether it will commit to requiring regulators, including APHA, to proactively publish the findings and outcomes of welfare investigations at aquaculture facilities, in order that the public and the Parliament can assess whether regulatory responses are proportionate to the severity of incidents recorded.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish seriously and expects all aquaculture operators to comply with animal welfare legislation and industry standards. Where welfare concerns are raised, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are responsible for investigating potential breaches of welfare law and, where appropriate, will take enforcement action using the range of powers available to it.

The Scottish Government provides funding for training APHA veterinarians on farmed fish welfare, and we have full confidence that they have the skill and expertise to carry out inspections. Arrangements for routine welfare inspections of Scottish fish farms by APHA have been strengthened and will result in an increased number of inspections undertaken each year.

The Scottish Government does not intend to require proactive publication of outcomes of individual welfare investigations. Any changes to existing reporting practices would require careful consideration to ensure consistency across sectors and to avoid prejudicing investigative functions.

Question reference: S6W-44433

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the September 2025 update to the fisheries persistent high mortality analysis confirming that the scope of that work is limited to marine sites, and in light of reports that the Applecross hatchery has recorded approximately 10 million fish deaths over the last four years, including close to half a million deaths in January 2026 alone, during which period the facility has received regulatory consent to expand its operations, what the rationale is for excluding freshwater sites, including hatcheries, from the persistent high mortality analysis, and whether it will commit to extending that work to include the freshwater and hatchery stages of production.

Question reference: S6W-44434

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that, after the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) was informed that the Aird salmon farm had been declared fallow while fish were still present, several weeks of sea-lice count data were retrospectively reclassified by FHI as a “withdrawal period prior to harvesting”, despite no harvesting subsequently taking place, what its position is on whether such retrospective reclassification of lice count data is appropriate, and whether there is a standard process for handling incidents where a site is declared fallow while salmon remain on site.

Question reference: S6W-44064

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that civil servants based in rural, island and remote communities are not placed at a structural disadvantage in career progression compared with staff based in Edinburgh and the central belt.

The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related hybrid working policy.

Work to clarify a location policy for Scottish Government core staff will consider a range of relevant factors and benefit from consultation with trade unions and engagement with staff and diversity networks across the organisation. Until the location policy has been reviewed, interim arrangements are in place for people who live distant from their contractual work location.

I would encourage the member to direct any further questions on this matter to the Permanent Secretary.

Question reference: S6W-44061

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the minimum 40% office attendance requirement on staff living in rural, island and remote communities.

The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related hybrid working policy.

The Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for the Scottish Government’s hybrid working policy drew on a broad range of evidence, including feedback from staff networks and findings from the hybrid working policy review, to ensure the policy remains accessible and inclusive.

Work to clarify a location policy for Scottish Government core staff will consider a range of relevant factors and benefit from consultation with trade unions and engagement with staff diversity networks across the organisation. Until the location policy has been reviewed, interim arrangements are in place for people who live a further distant from their contractual work location.

I would encourage the member to direct any further questions on this matter to the Permanent Secretary.

Question reference: S6W-44062

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how its hybrid working policies align with the commitments in its Action Plan to Address Depopulation and its National Islands Plan, regarding access to secure, skilled employment in rural and island areas.

The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related hybrid working policy.

The new National Islands Plan prioritises retaining and attracting population, and while it has no specific commitment on public-sector job locations, it underlines the value of local employment. The Scottish Government also maintains a significant rural and island estate, including Marine Scotland and the Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID) offices.

Work to clarify a location policy for Scottish Government core staff will consider a range of relevant factors and benefit from consultation with trade unions and engagement with staff and diversity networks across the organisation. Until the location policy has been reviewed, interim arrangements are in place for people who live distant from their contractual work location.

Question reference: S6W-44060

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil service roles have been reclassified as “Edinburgh-based” or “central belt-based” since changes to the hybrid working policy were introduced in October 2025.

The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related hybrid working policy.

No civil service roles have been reclassified as “Edinburgh based” or “central belt-based” because of the revised hybrid working policy introduced in October 2025.

I would encourage the member to direct any further questions on this matter to the Permanent Secretary.

Question reference: S6W-44063

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) on the hybrid working and location policy, and, if not, for what reason.

The Permanent Secretary has responsibility for the operational running of the Scottish Government, including workforce-related policies such as hybrid working.

As the hybrid working policy is an internal operational matter and does not alter staff contractual terms and conditions, a formal Islands Communities Impact Assessment was not required. However, we continue to monitor the policy in practice, including any impacts on colleagues across Scotland.

Work to clarify a location policy for Scottish Government core staff will consider a range of relevant factors and benefit from consultation with trade unions and engagement with staff and diversity networks across the organisation. Until the location policy has been reviewed, interim arrangements are in place for people who live distant from their contractual work location.

I would encourage the member to direct any further questions on this matter to the Permanent Secretary.

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