Fisheries

Better recycling of fishing equipment and changing what we flush down the toilet could help cut the amount of litter in Scotland’s waters.

These proposals are included in a consultation on an updated Marine Litter Strategy, which aims to prevent litter reaching our seas and shores, remove rubbish from the marine environment, and strengthen monitoring.

Last week the Scottish Government announced details of its budget programme for 2022-23 which underlines their commitment to rural and island communities and businesses.

Scotland’s budget underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to rural and island communities and businesses.

The 2022-23 budget will see more than £650 million in ongoing support across the rural economy in agriculture, fishing, and seafood.

The site, within the Inner Sound of Skye, protects a nationally important flapper skate egg nursery area which is the largest of its kind to be identified in Scotland.

The latest round of funding awards from Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) has seen fishing businesses and marine organisations in coastal communities receive more than £3 million.

Funding of more than £650,000 will extend the salmon counter network as part of a package of measures to support salmon conservation.

The expanded network will provide valuable information to monitor salmon populations and inform their population status.

A project to gauge the impact of environmental and climate change on Scotland’s iconic wild salmon population has begun.

Numbers of wild Atlantic salmon returning to Scotland have declined over the last four decades by around 40%, impacting the conservation status of many rivers in the country.

Sea-Changers, the marine conservation charity has launched a new fund, the Marine Conservation Social Fund.

The new Social Fund has a unique emphasis on supporting or enhancing participants’ health and well-being and / or delivering benefits for disadvantaged communities, through marine conservation activity.

Fishing businesses and marine organisations have been awarded funding to mitigate the impacts of Brexit and help the sector recover from effects of COVID-19.

The financial support of almost £800,000 – part of the £14 million Marine Fund Scotland - was announced by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon in a food and drink debate in the Scottish Parliament.

An independent review of how fish farms are regulated is underway in a move to make Scottish aquaculture legislation one of the most effective and transparent in the world.

Professor Russel Griggs OBE has been appointed to lead the first phase of the review.