Clyde Seasonal Closure 2026 - business regulatory impact assessment

Additional implementation considerations

UK, EU and International Regulatory Alignment and Obligations

Internal Market / Intra-UK Trade Impacts

There is not expected to be any impact on intra-UK trade as the market access for goods and services remain the same under all options, only impacting where and when fishing may take place affecting all fishers. Nor does this unduly affect fishers from other UK regions with most affected fishers being based in Scotland.

International Trade Implications

There will be no impact on international trade into and out of Scotland from the implementation of the Clyde cod spawning closure.

EU Alignment consideration

Given this is a domestic policy, the measure is unlikely to impact on the Scottish Government’s policy to maintain alignment with the EU. This was previously an EU policy, and there continues to be a linked closure in the Irish Sea.

Legal Aid Impact Test

Maintaining a hybrid approach in future years would not give rise to increased use of legal processes or create new rights or responsibilities and should therefore have no new impact on the legal aid fund.

Digital Impact Test

The Clyde Cod spawning closure will not be impacted by changes in processes moving online.

Business forms

There are no plans that continuing the Clyde cod spawning closure will result in the creation of new forms for businesses to deal with, or result in amendments of existing forms.