The Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order requires persons who carry on a business of fish farming to report specified information on a weekly basis to the Scottish Ministers for the purpose of obtaining information in relation to the prevention, control and reduction of parasites on fish farms.

Article 3 provides that the information specified in the schedule must be reported to the Scottish Ministers no later than 8 days after the end of the week to which it relates.

The information specified in the schedule is the average number of adult female Lepeophtheirus salmonis counted per fish per fish farm site in a given week. If no count of Lepeophtheirus salmonis is carried out in that week, the reason for that must be given in the report. Where the reason for no count being carried out is that the site is fallow, no further reporting is required until the site ceases to be fallow.

In terms of section 2 of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 it is an offence to fail to comply, without reasonable excuse, with a requirement of this Order, or to knowingly provide any information which is false in a material particular. An offence under section 2 is punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

Article 4 amends the Fish Farming Businesses (Record Keeping) (Scotland) Order 2008 to clarify the stages of the life-cycle of parasites to be counted and recorded in the course of a weekly count of parasites in a fish farm.

A Business Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies can be obtained from Marine Scotland, the Scottish Government, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ.