The Scottish Executive has established a number of standing advisory groups on fisheries matters, including the Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group, the Tripartite Working Group and the Aquaculture Health Joint Working Group, and also sets up ad hoc groups from time to time to consider specific issues.

The Scottish Executive is represented on a wide range of UK and international advisory and policy making groups which consider issues of relevance to fisheries.

The value of scallop and queen scallop landings into Scotland by UK vessels in the last three years was £17.81 million in 1997, £17.98 million in 1998 and £16.48 million in 1999. The Scottish Executive does not hold figures for the sell-on value to the scallop industry after landing.

Following the widespread occurrence of Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) in 1999 a new three-year research project, with an annual estimated cost of £27,498, was commenced in April 2000. The objectives of the project are to identify the algal species responsible for ASP and to assess their seasonal and geographical distribution.

In addition the Food Standards Agency is committed to spend nearly £1 million in the next three years on research into algal toxins, of which one third can be attributed to ASP.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to release any fish not native to Great Britain into the wild without a licence. The Import of Live Fish (Scotland) Act 1978 also gives powers to Scottish Ministers to prohibit the import, keeping or release of fish that are not native to Scotland which might compete with, displace, prey on or harm the habitat of any freshwater fish, shellfish or salmon in Scotland. To date, only three Orders have been made under the 1978 Act. Whether further Orders should be made to prohibit other species which may be used as live bait will be considered under the "Protecting and Promoting Scotland's Freshwater Fish and Fisheries" review.

It has been the policy of successive governments not to compensate for losses due to disease or other natural phenomena in the marine environment. The Scottish Executive sees no case to change that position.

More generally, financial assistance for the industry will be available under the new Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) programme.

During the 1990s, Fisheries Research Services participated in a number of collaborative projects to address the issue of whether the sandeel fishery had potential implications for wild salmonid stocks.

Direct impacts were investigated by placing observers on sandeel trawlers off the Scottish east coast. No by-catch of salmon smolts was encountered. Potential indirect effects include the suggestion that the sandeel fishery might remove an important source of food for salmonids. An assessment of this possibility concluded that sandeels were just one of many prey species taken by salmonids, and that a properly managed sandeel fishery was unlikely to threaten the availability of this particular food source.

Importation is regulated by the Fish Health Regulations 1997 and the Diseases of Fish Act 1937 for imports from EU and non-EU countries respectively.

Fish eggs of native species can be imported, without application, from EU zones and farms with fish health status equivalent to our own, provided consignments are notified in advance. No notifications have been made in the last five years. No applications from non-EU countries have been made or granted in the last five years.

There are currently no government-sponsored studies into the impact of the introduction of non-native fish stocks. However, the Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory maintains a watching brief on the distribution of freshwater fish species.

As at 24 August, 186 responses had been received. The closing date for submissions, originally scheduled for 4 August, was extended to 31 August. An analysis of the responses will be undertaken and a statement on follow-up action will be made in due course.

The Scottish Executive's primary investment in this area is through the Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory (FFL), part of Fisheries Research Services. SERAD expenditure at FFL for the years 1997-98,1998-99 and 1999-2000 was £1.28 million, £1.27 million and £1.77 million respectively.