2024 Scottish Additional Quota Consultation Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment

2. Purpose and Intended Effect

2.1 Background

The Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government is consulting on amending the policy approach to the allocation of Scotland’s share of Additional Quota (AQ) (that is the share of quotas for fish stocks that has increased following the UK leaving the EU). This change in the administrative processes for the allocation of fish quotas (as set out in the Scottish Quota Management Rules) gives rise to a need to consult.

This partial BRIA accompanies the consultation on the way that AQ should be distributed.

2.2 Objective

The Marine Directorate is seeking views on a number of options for the allocation of Scotland’s AQ.

Such as:

• Allocation on the basis of previous catches by vessels (catches based on Historic Track Record (HTR)).
• Allocating quota with a view to increasing socio-economic benefit (such as widening the pool of vessels able to fish for a particular species)
• Seeking to allocate fish quota to vessels that tend to use fishing methods and gears with a low environmental impact

Specific proposals (and some broader concepts) are detailed below for the allocation of AQ that will be distributed along with Existing Quota (the share of quota that the UK had before EU exit) amongst Fish Producer Organisations, Scottish-recognised sectoral Quota Management Groups and Scottish registered vessels not attributed to a Sectoral Group (the ‘non-sector’) that fish in ICES fishing areas in UK coastal waters and in the waters of other Coastal States with whom the UK has access arrangements.

The method of quota allocation to be utilised as a result of the consultation will be in line with requirements set out in Section 25 of the Fisheries Act 2020, the Joint Fisheries Statement and relevant regulatory and Scottish Government objectives

The methodology or combination of methodologies chosen as a result of this consultation will be set out in an Outcome of Consultation Report and the Scottish Quota Management Rules.

The Quota Management Rules will be published in 2024.

2.3 Rationale for Government Intervention

Scottish Ministers are one of the UK national fishing authorities and exercise their responsibilities under the Fisheries Act 2020 through the Marine Directorate. Ministers are committed to consulting with industry representatives, communities and others on how best to realise appropriate environmental, economic and social benefits in line the Fisheries Act 2020. The following National Performance Framework outcomes are supported by the allocation of AQ:

• Economy
• Communities
• Fair Work and Business
• Poverty
• Environment

AQ presents an opportunity to the Scottish fishing industry and related coastal communities