Vessel monitoring system (VMS) data for fishing vessels within Scottish Waters: EIR release

Information requested

I previously made this FOI request: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202400436413/

I was hoping to make the same request but now for the most recent 10-year period available. I assume this will be 01 Jan 2015 to 31 Dec 2024.

However, if you have 2025 available, I would like that to be included.

For ease of reference I shall also include below, the full text of the previous request you refer to above (EIR 202400436413):

“raw historical VMS positional data for fishing vessels within Scottish Waters in a tabular format (e.g. csv or txt) that includes the following fields, where available:

• Anonymised Vessel Code
• Length
• Deadweight Tonnage
• Timestamp (date and time),
• Latitude
• Longitude
• Fishing Method (Gear Type)
• Speed
• Status (e.g. engaged in fishing, transiting etc)
• Flag

Ideally, I would need it to cover a 10-year period from 01 Jan 2014 00:00 to 31 Dec 2023 23:59. I require VMS positional data for all fishing vessels rather than just UK registered vessels, if available.”

On 27 January 2026 you updated your request above to request the same data, but for a 12-year period covering 01 Jan 2014 to 31 Dec 2025.

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.

I am releasing a copy of most of the information you requested in Annex A (attached) in the format you asked for, which was either txt or csv files. A total of 288 txt files have been released to you as part of my response.

*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.

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