Improving inshore fisheries data: Consultation on requiring electronic tracking and monitoring technology on under 12 metre commercial fishing vessels

Proposals

25. The Scottish Government intends to require an appropriate vessel tracking device on board all under 12 metre commercial fishing vessels transiting or fishing within the Scottish zone, and Scottish under 12 metre registered fishing vessels wherever they are operating, by 2026.

26. In addition, for under 12 metre vessels where there are clear scientific and compliance benefits, we intend to require an REM system. Once the responses to this consultation have been analysed, we will engage further with our Fisheries Management and Conservation Group (FMAC) and Regional Inshore Fisheries Group network (RIFG) to identify the REM fleets.

27. We intend to utilise a variety of technologies to ensure that the requirement is proportionate to each vessel's fishing activity, while balancing costs. It is the Scottish Government's intention to contribute to the cost of a Scottish vessel's (under 12 metres in length) first tracking device or REM system, subject to budgetary constraints. The Scottish Government does not intend to contribute to additional expenses, including monthly running costs.

28. In order to support a tailored and phased deployment of the technology, the requirement to have a tracking device or REM system onboard may be introduced initially via licence conditions, before legislation is laid in the Scottish Parliament. The use of licence conditions would enable Ministers to phase in the requirements which would allow them to balance demand from fishers with supply of devices and availability of engineers to fit them. It would also ensure that data collection starts as soon as possible. For example, vessels could be allocated into tranches based on their length or another parameter. A deadline could be set for the vessels in each tranche to have an installation completed by. A licence condition could be introduced to make it a mandatory requirement for that class of vessel. The subsequent tranches would follow the same process.

29. The intention is that the legislative requirements would apply to all fishing boats under 12 metres in length transiting and operating in Scottish waters (the Scottish zone) and to Scottish registered under 12 metre vessels wherever they operate. In practice this means that the requirements would be applied to all under 12 metre vessels in Scottish waters, regardless of nationality.