Sandeel fishing consultation: draft partial business and regulatory impact assessment

Regulatory and EU Alignment Impacts

Intra-UK and international trade

The preferred option is not expected to affect intra-UK or international trade.

EU Alignment

The closure of an area to protect sandeel in ICES divisions 4a and 4b was included in EU regulations and has been retained in UK law.

Scottish Firms Impact Test

As stated above, businesses with an interest in the proposal will be invited to submit their views via the public consultation.

Scottish firms are expected to be minimally impacted and as outlined in the options section, the estimated costs are assumed to be an overestimation.

Competition Assessment

The closure will be for all Scottish businesses.

Consumer Assessment

Currently, of the total tonnage of sandeel caught in UK waters a very minimal amount is landed into Scottish ports. It's not expected that sandeel caught in non-UK waters will be landed into Scotland.

The consultation should seek to answer if there are any consequences to consumers of a closure of fishing for sandeel in all Scottish waters, and sandeels are not landed into Scotland.

Test Run of Business Forms

No new business forms will be introduced because of the proposed extension.

Digital Impact Test

The proposed extension will not be applicable in a digital/online context.

Legal Aid Impact Test

It is not anticipated that the proposed extension will have an impact on the legal aid fund.

Enforcement, Sanctions and Monitoring

Marine Scotland Compliance are responsible for the enforcement of fishing regulations and monitoring activity within Scottish waters using a risk-based approach. As with the existing closed area, monitoring of the extended closed area will be included in these routine activities.