Communications referring to the captain of the Marinera/Bella-1 tanker: FOI release

Information requested

Please provide all internal Scottish Government communications (emails, WhatsApp messages, submissions, minutes) between 25 and 28 January 2026 referring to:
(a) the judicial review and interim order granted by Lord Young in the Court of Session in relation to the captain of the Marinera/Bella-1 tanker; and
(b) the possible or actual removal of the captain and first officer from Scottish jurisdiction.

Please state the date and time when any Scottish Minister, the Lord Advocate, or the Solicitor General was first informed that the captain and/or first officer of the Marinera had been, or were about to be, transferred to a US vessel and removed from UK territorial waters.

Please provide any record (minute, email, note) of contact between the Scottish Government/Crown Office and UK Government departments (including MoD, FCDO, Home Office or Cabinet Office) between 25 and 28 January 2026 that refers to the removal of the captain or first officer of the Marinera from Scotland.

Response

The answer to Please state the date and time when any Scottish Minister, the Lord Advocate, or the Solicitor General was first informed that the captain and/or first officer of the Marinera had been, or were about to be, transferred to a US vessel and removed from UK territorial waters is:

Ministers were informed at 18:06 on 26 January 2026 that the Scottish Government had just received notification that 2 crew members from the MVBella-1 had been transferred to a US Coastguard vessel and were no longer in UK territorial waters. The First Minister confirmed to Parliament that the Scottish Government was not notified prior to removal.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. Responding in full would involve extensive searches, detailed sifting, and redaction of a substantial number of complex documents.

Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.

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