Wrasse fishery information: EIR release
Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004
Information requested
1. When did the wrasse fishery open this year?
2. If it opened in different geographical areas, please describe each accordingly. Please explain the rationale for opening in some areas and not in others.
3. How many derogation licences have been granted for the 2025 wrasse fishery?
4. How many applications for same remain to be considered?
5. Have any licences been granted on the basis of conditions other than the 2022 'standard' conditions?
If so, please provide a copy of such conditions with a note of how many licences are affected by each 'new' condition.
Response
The answers to your questions are as follows:
1. The wrasse fishery opened on 03 June 2025.
2. Regulation 6(1)(b) - Information already publicly available.
Under regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs, we do not have to give you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. Where information is already publicly available I have provided you with the links to the relevant websites. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
New spatial restrictions were introduced for the wrasse fishery in 2025, the following document sets out these restrictions and rationale for them. A fisheries assessment (2025) of how the Scottish inshore wild wrasse fishery interacts with the Marine Protected Areas Network Supporting documents - Inshore waters - regulated commercial use of traps/pots to catch wrasse: fisheries assessment - gov.scot
3. As at 30 June 2025, a total of 48 wrasse derogations were granted for the 2025 season.
4. No applications currently remain to be considered.
5. The 2022 licence conditions have been replaced by the enclosed/attached licence conditions.
These details are currently being prepared for publication on the Scottish Government website.
About FOI
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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