Minutes of the MFC Meeting held on 30 June 2019
The minutes of the June 2019 meeting of the MFC are here.
Migratory Fish and non-migratory fish Committees contributions to Scottish Natural Heritage's review of shooting under general licenses
The Migratory Fish Committee has contributed to Scottish Natural Heritage's review of shooting under general licenses by pointing out that no provisions have been made for protection of fish.
Salmon is a listed species under the EU Habitats Directive and, with sea trout, is not being protected by virtue of cormorants and sawbilled ducks not being included in the general licence.
We said: " Research commissioned by and/or carried by Marine Scotland, Salmon Fisheries Boards and Fisheries Trusts demonstrates that juvenile fish (smolts and parr) are heavily predated by cormorants and by sawbilled ducks during the freshwater period prior to marine migration. Salmon and sea trout stocks have been much depleted, to the extent that most rivers in Scotland (categories 2 and 3) are judged to be at risk of insufficient spawning escapement to sustain populations. For its part, the angling community has alleviated pressure by introduction of catch and release of adult fish. Such efforts are felt to be negated by failure to contain the predatory impact of these birds on the juvenile component of salmon and sea trout stocks."
The Non-Migratory Fish Committee response is here.
Salmon is a listed species under the EU Habitats Directive and, with sea trout, is not being protected by virtue of cormorants and sawbilled ducks not being included in the general licence.
We said: " Research commissioned by and/or carried by Marine Scotland, Salmon Fisheries Boards and Fisheries Trusts demonstrates that juvenile fish (smolts and parr) are heavily predated by cormorants and by sawbilled ducks during the freshwater period prior to marine migration. Salmon and sea trout stocks have been much depleted, to the extent that most rivers in Scotland (categories 2 and 3) are judged to be at risk of insufficient spawning escapement to sustain populations. For its part, the angling community has alleviated pressure by introduction of catch and release of adult fish. Such efforts are felt to be negated by failure to contain the predatory impact of these birds on the juvenile component of salmon and sea trout stocks."
The Non-Migratory Fish Committee response is here.
SANA Response to the Scottish Govt Consultation on the Future of Fisheries Management in Scotland
This link will take you to the SANA response to the Scottish Govt consultation on the future of fisheries management in Scotland.
MFC Enquiries
The MFC chair may be contacted by following this link.
Minutes of the MFC Meeting held on 10 March 2019
The minutes of the March 2019 meeting of the MFC are here.
Analysis of Salmon and Sea Trout Catches to Determine the True Impact of Netting
This link, posted on behalf of the MFC, will to take you to a document which provides an analysis of Salmon and Sea Trout catches to determine the true impact of netting.
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 9 December 2018
The minutes of the December 2018 meeting of the MFC are here.
Fisheries Management Scotland Annual Review 2019
This is posted on behalf of the Migratory Fish Committee and is a link to the Fisheries Management Scotland Annual Review 2019
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 30th September 2019
SANA's RESPONSE TO SEPA CONSULTATION: Water Supply & Waste Water
Treatment Sector Plan
The response can be found here.
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 1st July 2018
Fisheries Management Scotland Annual Review 2018
The report can be found here.
This is the SANA response to the CONSULTATION ON SHAPING THE FUTURE OF YOUR WATER AND WASTE WATER SERVICES.
Responses should be sent to admin@sana.org.uk.
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 11th March 2018
SANA final responses re Salmon Farming in Scotland and the Scottish Crown Estate Bill
Links to the final submissions are below;
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 3rd December 2017
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 1st October 2017
Save the date - Invasive Species Week 23rd -29th March 2018
Details can be found here.
Biosecurity for events
The GB non-native species secretariat has published new guidelines.
Read the Wild Fisheries Reform six weekly update number 3 - here.
Conservation Regulations - river grades for 2018 are - here.
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 25th June 2017
SANA RESPONSE TO AQUACULTURE PLANNING CONSULTATION
Pink Salmon
Fisheries Management Scotland have produced a general advice note on the recent captures of Pacific pink salmon in Scottish waters.
Find the Fisheries Management Scotland Annual Review 2017 here.
Wild Fisheries Reform - 6 Weekly Update, June 2017
The update can be found here.
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 17th March 2017
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 4th December
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 25th September
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 19th June
CONSULTATION ON CROWN ESTATE INTERIM MANAGEMENT IN SCOTLAND
SANA's submission can be read here.
Exercise Alpheus update
Exercise Alpheus was designed to test the response to a cross border (Scotland, England and Wales) outbreak of Gyrodactylus salaries. The update on the outcomes can be read here.
Read Andy Walker's report from the NASCO conference
Minutes of the MFC Meeting of 13th March - are here:
ASFB - RAFTS Report
The 2016 Report can be found here:
Minutes of MFC Meeting Dec 2015 - are here:
Wild Fisheries Reform
Dr Aileen McLeod, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform announced a consultation on draft provisions for a Wild Fisheries (Scotland) Bill and a draft Wild Fisheries Strategy yesterday. The consultation will run until 2 May 2016.
The consultation document can be viewed at: citizen space
The consultation document can be viewed at: citizen space
Wild Fisheries Reform
Minutes of the Scottish Government's Stakeholder Reference Group are here:
ASFB - RAFTS Report
The 2015 Report can be found here:
Latest Migratory Fish Committee Minutes
The minutes of the September 2015 meeting are here.
Minutes of the MFC Meeting June 2015 - are here:
SANA's submission to the Consultation on Wild Fisheries Reform is issued. A link to the document is here.
CONSULTATION ON Wild Fisheries Reform: Briefing for SANA members.
Dates announced for the 'Drop-in events' during the consultation period.
Minutes of the MFC meeting April 2015 - are here:
CONSULTATION ON PROPOSED SALMON CONSERVATION MEASURES TO INTRODUCE A LICENSING SYSTEM FOR KILLING WILD SALMON IN SCOTLAND
The SANA Migratory Fish Committee draft response is now available here. The Committee would welcome any comments or suggestions. Please respond by email to admin@sana.org.uk or by post to SANA Ltd, The Pier, Loch Leven, Kinross KY13 8UF
CONSULTATION ON SALMON CONSERVATION MEASURES
SANA's response to the proposed regulation can be found here.
Wild Fisheries Review - Final Report and Recommendations
The covering Letter from Andrew Thin to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change can be found here here.
The final report and recommendations can be found here.
The summary list of recommendations within the report can be found here.
The final report and recommendations can be found here.
The summary list of recommendations within the report can be found here.
Minutes of the MFC Meeting October 2014 - are here:
Analysis of Salmon and Sea Trout Catches - Updated October 2014
A paper produced under the auspices of the SANA Migratory Fish Committee (MFC) which has an analysis of salmon and sea trout catches to determine the true impact of netting on fish populations is here. Please send any feedback to the webmaster who will direct these to the MFC.
Minutes of the MFC Meeting June 2014 - are here:
SANA Submission to the Wild Fisheries Review Panel
The SANA submission from the MFC to the Wild Fisheries Review Panel in respect of the consultation on the structure of governance for wild fisheries management are below;
MFC Submission here.
MFC Submission here.
ASFB - RAFTS Annual Review 2014
The latest Association of Salmon Fishery Boards/Rivers and Fisheries Trusts 2014 Annual Review is available here.
Latest Migratory Fish Committee Minutes
The draft minutes of the MFC meeting held on 9 March 14 are here. They will remain draft until the next meeting where they will be confirmed as final, or amended and then confirmed as final.
Enforcement Against Fish Farms
The new rules for operation of fish farms came into effect in mid September 2013. SANA asked that enforcement action against badly performing fish farms be made public. The Scottish Government has started making inspection results public from an earlier date. Individual, named, farm inspection reports by the Fish Health Inspectorate can be viewed on-line. For the most recently published cases (July to September 2013) see here. All but two of these cases concluded that the rules had been met. Two are "open" cases. These concern containment issues.
The inspection process under which the FHI operates with respect to the 2007 Act is based upon the provisions (with respect to sea lice and containment) within the industry Code of Good Practice. The elements of the code which are relevant to these sections are considered when inspecting sites and assessing the measures in place for the prevention, control and reduction of parasites, the containment of fish and prevention of escapes from the fish farm, and the recovery of escaped fish. Where it is considered that satisfactory measures are not in place, then enforcement action can be taken through the serving of an enforcement notice.
Under the 2013 Act and with respect to the provisions concerning Aquaculture, legal requirements have been introduced relating to farm management agreements (FMA) and farm management statements (FMS). Fish farmers are required to be part of an FMA or to prepare and maintain an FMS, and ensure that the farm is operated in accordance with the agreement or statement. Farm management areas relating to farm management agreements and statements are defined within the Industry Code of Good Practice. Inspections can be conducted to check FMA or FMS are in place. Enforcement action through the serving of an enforcement notice can be taken where the measures are not considered satisfactory or where they are not being implemented appropriately.
The inspection process under which the FHI operates with respect to the 2007 Act is based upon the provisions (with respect to sea lice and containment) within the industry Code of Good Practice. The elements of the code which are relevant to these sections are considered when inspecting sites and assessing the measures in place for the prevention, control and reduction of parasites, the containment of fish and prevention of escapes from the fish farm, and the recovery of escaped fish. Where it is considered that satisfactory measures are not in place, then enforcement action can be taken through the serving of an enforcement notice.
Under the 2013 Act and with respect to the provisions concerning Aquaculture, legal requirements have been introduced relating to farm management agreements (FMA) and farm management statements (FMS). Fish farmers are required to be part of an FMA or to prepare and maintain an FMS, and ensure that the farm is operated in accordance with the agreement or statement. Farm management areas relating to farm management agreements and statements are defined within the Industry Code of Good Practice. Inspections can be conducted to check FMA or FMS are in place. Enforcement action through the serving of an enforcement notice can be taken where the measures are not considered satisfactory or where they are not being implemented appropriately.
Latest Updates from the Migratory Fish Committee
The following documents have recently been submitted by the MFC.
This submission has been forwarded to Marine Scotland in respect of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill.
This submission has been forwarded to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environmental Committee of the Scottish Parliament in respect of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill.
This submission has been forwarded to the National Access Forum in respect of Intensive and Commercial Access to Angling Waters.
This submission has been forwarded to Marine Scotland in respect of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill.
This submission has been forwarded to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environmental Committee of the Scottish Parliament in respect of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill.
This submission has been forwarded to the National Access Forum in respect of Intensive and Commercial Access to Angling Waters.
MFC Submission on Access to Angling Waters
SANA's Migratory Fish Committee has submitted this paper to Scottish Natural Heritage on the issue of Intensive and COmmercial Access to Angling Waters
SANA Submission to the Land Reform Review Group
The President, Donald Forbes, and the Chair of the Migratory Fish Committee, Craig Campbell, have approved SANA's submission to the Land Reform Review Group. The submission can be found here. More information on the Land Reform Review Group can be found here.
SANA Policy on Access to Rivers by Canoeists and Rafters
The SANA policy document on access to rivers by canoeists and rafters is here.
Consultation on the Proposed NE of England Net Limitation Orders (2)
SANA has submitted this supplementary document to the Scottish Government regarding the proposed NE of England Net Limitation orders
Consultation on the Proposed North East of England Net Limitation Orders
SANA's MFC has submitted an agreed position on the proposed North East of England net limitation order to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The SANA submission is available here.
Victory for Tummel Anglers
News of a court victory for Tummel anglers here.
ASFB - RAFTS Newsletter
The latest Association of Salmon Fishery Boards/Rivers and Fisheries Trusts newsletter is available here.
Migratory Fish
The Migratory Fish Committee deals with a wide range of issues affecting wild salmon and sea trout stocks in Scotland, the UK and, indeed, internationally through its connection with the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation, whose headquarters are in Edinburgh.
It is campaigning against certain activities of Scotland's West Coast marine salmon farming industry in the belief that these are endangering wild migratory stocks and the environment.
It is involved in conservation moves, including the encouragement of voluntary catch-and-release, in efforts to stem the decline in currently dwindling stocks of wild salmon in all the North Atlantic countries. It is also dealing with problems of pollution, water abstraction, small-scale hydro-power projects, predation by an increasing population of seals and fish-eating birds, the continuation of drift-netting for salmon in England, Northern Ireland and Ireland, industrial fishing in the North Sea and the improvement of river habitat to boost salmon and sea trout spawning prospects.
The Migratory Fish Committee for 2016
R Craig Campbell - Chair - Edinburgh
Dr Andy Walker - V Chair - Pitlochry
Dr John Pirie - Sec - Aberdeenshire
W Balfour - Brechin
W Duncan - Perth
J Stephen - Aberdeen
F Wright - Hawick
O McLennan - Fortrose
R Picken Irvine