Scottish fishing vessel data: EIR release
- Published
- 21 January 2025
- Directorate
- Marine Directorate
- FOI reference
- EIR/202400442477
- Date received
- 25 November 2024
- Date responded
- 19 December 2024
Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
Information requested
The data we would like to acquire for Scottish fishing vessels, relate to VMS data for all fleet segments; landed weight for all species by gear type, landings value (£) for all species by gear type, and any other fishing data that may be relevant and available. We would prefer VMS data are linked to fisheries data for the 5 most recent years i.e. 2019 to 2023, if available, although we understand timescale for such data can be limited.
For data requested for all species in terms of landed weight/value, please could you provide this for all species individually, or the top 10 individual species if this is more appropriate i.e., landings for lower order species are negligible?
The ICES rectangles areas for which we require data are as follows;
- 34E3, 34E4, 34E5, 34E6
- 35E3, 35E4, 35E5, 35E6
- 36E3, 36E4, 36E5, 36E6
- 37E3, 35E4, 37E5, 37E6
Can these data be provided to ICES sub rectangle level and with fishing effort as well i.e. number of days at sea?
Response
I am providing a copy of most of the information you requested in four separate excel workbooks. The contents of these files are as follows:
1. VMS data with voyage id to link to landings 2019-2022.xls: Contains VMS data for the ICES rectangles that you requested above provided at least 5 vessels where recorded that month in the rectangle. Voyage id is included which will enable you to link the vms with the landings data in the second file.
2. Landings data by rectangle with voyage id 2019-2022: Contains landed weight and value by gear, species, rectangle and voyage id. Data on landings from rectangles with data in the vms data above and at least 5 vessels landing from them during the year have been included.
3. VMS by Scottish Vessels in selected rectangles 2023: Contains VMS data for the ICES rectangles that you requested above provided at least 5 vessels where recorded that month in the rectangle by anonymised vessel id. No voyage level information available.
4. Summary landings by rectangle 2019-2023: Contains information on the landed weight and value by gear, species, rectangle for Scottish vessels. This also includes smaller vessels with no vms. Rectangles with at least 5 vessels landing from them during the year have been included.
Information not provided
In your request you state that you would prefer VMS data linked to fisheries data for the 5 most recent years i.e. 2019 to 2023, if available. We are providing the most recent 4 years of available, linked VMS and fisheries landings data (for 2019-2022). This data will be most useful to you as is consistent and processed data.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing part of your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. The reasons why that exception applies are explained in the Annex to this letter.
Additional information provided out with the EIRs
Under regulation 9 of the EIRs (our duty to provide advice and assistance) we would like to advise you that some vessels fishing in these rectangles do not have VMS. These vessels are included in the summary landings information (fourth excel file listed) but will not appear in any of the other files. The VMS data for 2019-2022 was processed by CEFAS (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) and linked to information on voyages. Information on effort by UK vessels by rectangle for 2022 is published on data.marine.gov.scot. Other years of data are also available on this website.
ANNEX
REASONS FOR NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION
The Scottish Government does not have the information
Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have. The Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested because the 2023 VMS data by voyage to link to landings data has not been processed by CEFAS yet. Raw VMS data with no links to the landings data has been supplied instead. Additionally, effort data for Scottish vessels is not available separately, this is processed and published at a UK vessel level only. Likewise, information at a sub rectangle level is not available.
This exception 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 exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about linked VMA data for 2023, effort data for Scottish vessels and sub rectangle data, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.
Due to the size of the files we are unable to upload the documents referred to above.
If you wish to consider, please contact us at the address below and we will be happy to provide.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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