Aquaculture: Consenting Task Group

Overview

We are committed to improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of Scotland’s aquaculture regulatory regime. A Review of the Aquaculture Regulatory Process in Scotland, published in February 2022, concluded the first phase of a broad review of aquaculture regulatory processes.

On 3 May 2022, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands announced the details of the second phase of work for the Scottish Government’s aquaculture review, accepting the recommendations of the regulatory review report in principle, aiming to rapidly progress efficiencies in consenting and consider issues of science, alongside the development of a new Scottish Government-led Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture and as advised by the Scottish Aquaculture Council.

The key objective of Consenting Task Group (CTG) is to identify an efficient and effective aquaculture consenting process, which enables appropriately informed regulatory decisions to made as quickly as possible. To do so, the CTG will work together to identify, pilot, and review new measures to achieve an improved, multilateral consenting process framework.

Related groups

• Scottish Aquaculture Council

Members

• Salmon Scotland (Scottish Sea Farms, Bakkafrost, Mowi and Cooke Aquaculture)
• British Trout Association
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Crown Estate Scotland
• heads of planning representative
• local authority planner representative
• Scottish Government (Aquaculture Policy, Environmental Quality and Resilience Policy, Planning Policy, Marine Scotland Licensing Operations Team, Fish Health Inspectorate, and Improvement Advisor)

We provide secretariat support and additional invitations may be sent out for specific tasks and meetings to draw in wider perspectives as necessary, such as to statutory consultees.

Publications

Aquaculture Consenting Task Group: terms of reference