Marine Scotland Science spending on sea lice research: EIR release

Information requested

1. I would like to request how much Marine Scotland Science has spent on sea lice research (excluding staff costs) since 2010. This includes all aspects of research including modelling as well as the more direct research.

2. I would also like to ask how much Marine Scotland have given to the west coast Fisheries Trusts and or Fisheries Management Scotland to fund sample netting for sea lice also since 2010.

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

1. Excluding staff costs, Marine Scotland Science has spent £947,020 on sea lice research since 2010. This includes all aspects of research including modelling as well as the more direct research.

2. Since 2010, Marine Scotland has provided funding of £624,325.60 to west coast Fisheries Trusts and/or Fisheries Management Scotland to fund a programme of work in relation to ‘Aquaculture / Wild Fish Interactions’ where sample netting for sea lice work has been a component. It is not possible, from the records held, to identify the funding specifically attributed to sample netting for sea lice.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.