Information on the Thermolicer and Optilicer: EIR release

Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.


FOI reference: FOI/18/01466
Date received: 18 May 2018
Date responded: 18 June 2018

Information requested

Information on the Thermolicer and Optilicer since 7 April 2017, including:

  • information on any deaths, injuries and welfare concerns relating to the Thermolicer and Hydrolicer

  • any complaints regarding the operation of the Thermolicer and Hydrolicer

  • any scientific research, dialogue with Norwegian agencies and authorities and any welfare assessments of the Thermolicer and Hydrolicer

  • correspondence with Norwegian agencies and authorities; with Thermolicer and Hydrolicer manufacturers; salmon farming companies; welfare bodies and any other parties in relation to the Thermolicer and Hydrolicer since 7 April 2017

  • any Cabinet Briefings, internal correspondence and other dialogue relating to the Thermolicer and Hydrolicer

  • copies of licences to operate a Thermolicer and Hydrolicer in Scottish waters and any other documents relating to the operation of the Thermolicer and Hydrolicer in Scottish waters.

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.

Please find attached copies of mortality event reports which are relevant to your request. Whilst these mortality event reports refer to either the thermolicer or hydrolicer, the mortality reported may have also resulted from other causes and therefore may be multifactorial.

You will also find relevant information collected through our Aquatic Animal Health surveillance programme which is released through our active publication plan.

The published information will be available through the following link:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Fish-Shellfish/FHI/CaseInformation

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

FoI-18-01466 - Mortality event reports.pdf

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference

Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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