Landing figures from French vessels fishing Shetland waters: EIR release

Information requested

Could you please furnish us with the landing figures from the following French vessels fishing Shetland waters from 01.01.22 until 31.12.22. We need tonnages and species.

• Cap St George’s
• Bressay Bank
• Fisher Bank
• Otter Bank
• Andre Leduc

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.

Response

There were no landings into UK ports recorded for the five French vessels listed above fishing in area IVa (Shetland waters) in 2022. We do not have landing data for specific EU vessels fishing in UK waters who land their catch outside the UK. Monthly summary data on activity by EU vessels in UK waters is supplied to the UK. However, this does not provide information on specific vessels, nationality of vessels or the landing location.

UK vessels fishing in third country/EU waters are not obligated to provide RTP (return to port) and LAN (landing) information if not landing in EU and Vice versa. If the UK vessel fishes in EU waters and then returns and lands to Scotland we would only send reports for activity in those waters and vice versa.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.