Wrasse fishing season information: EIR release

Information requested

1) A specimen copy of any instructions given out, through any medium to fishermen, individually or collectively, advising them that the wrasse fishing season was not opening on May 1st 2025.

2) A specimen copy of letters of derogation sent out, if any, to fishermen for the wrasse fishery in 2025.

3 ) Any information that you hold regarding special measures you have taken to ensure that the continuing closure of the wrasse fishery is being complied with.

4) Any evidence you hold that shows that no wrasse fishing is actually taking place during the month of May 2025.

Response

1) I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested. An exception under regulation 11(2) of the EIRs (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exception is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception.

2) 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 the information you have requested because at the date of the request, no specimen copy of letters of derogation had been sent out for the 2025 fishery.

3) Marine Directorate Compliance has been monitoring the situation regarding this fishery. The risk was added to the tasking of the Marine Protection Vessel Minna and one of our Inshore Protection Vessels. Both vessels have been operating in areas where wrasse fishing has taken place previously.

4) 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 the information you have requested because there is no intelligence and no detections which indicated unlicensed wrasse fishing occurred during the month of May 2025.

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.

EIR 202500468161 - Information released - Document

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