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1 Vision and Guiding Principles
Freshwater fisheries management must increasingly interact with all regulatory and management systems aimed at safeguarding the aquatic environment.
Introduction
1.1 Scottish freshwater fisheries comprise:
- Game angling
- Coarse angling
- Netting of salmon and sea trout
1.2 All fishing rights in Scotland are in private ownership. The interests of the proprietors of those fishing rights must be upheld, and at the same time balanced against the societal benefits to be gained from encouraging fair and sustainable access to Scotland's freshwater fish.
1.3 Freshwater fish and their habitats are a natural resource in Scotland, and the economic and social benefits to be gained from utilising this resource must be balanced against the threat of over-exploitation. Freshwater fisheries management aims to ensure that balance, and a range of activities and actions help to achieve that objective, including:
- Stock assessment
- Habitat management
- Stock rebuilding where necessary, including enhancement and restoration
- Impact reduction by way of 'catch and release'
- Effort limitation
- Other conservation measures
1.4 Current freshwater fisheries management, in the very broadest sense, is undertaken by a range of different organisations in Scotland. Some are statutory in nature, but many are not, taking advantage of an enthusiastic and experienced voluntary effort. Individual management practices vary around the country, and most of them undoubtedly achieve the objectives set out by their proponents. Nevertheless, there is the potential for disagreement between different sub-sectors of freshwater fisheries in terms of the acceptability of some of those practices.
1.5 The quality and natural biodiversity of Scotland's freshwater environment, which contains more than just fin fish, is governed by many different pieces of legislation or regulation. Freshwater fisheries management must increasingly interact with all regulatory and management systems aimed at safeguarding the aquatic environment.
1.6 Other industries rely on our freshwater environment for their own sustainable economic contribution to Scotland, and other groups of users also increasingly value the freshwater environment for leisure, sporting and recreational purposes.
1.7 This is the landscape within which the Freshwater Fisheries Forum considered its options for the future of the sector. There is broad consensus that some sort of careful, cost-effective evolution of existing freshwater fisheries management is required to meet the needs of the sector in the future. Whatever these changes might be, and over whatever timescale, there is also a broad consensus that they must:
- take account of local needs;
- avoid excessive bureaucracy;
- avoid over-centralisation; and
- be based on firm scientific principles.
Where existing systems and structures are generally agreed to be working well, there is a strong view that they should not be unduly tampered with.
1.8 Individual anglers, netsmen or even angling clubs, represent the 'consumers' in freshwater fisheries, and are understandably concerned to ensure that future changes do not disadvantage them. It has been suggested that anglers are not well represented by the Steering Group of the Forum. The two core bodies recognised centrally as representing anglers in Scotland, SANA and SFCA, were represented on the Steering Group along with a variety of other membership organisations. Individual anglers are at liberty to join these and ensure that their voices are heard through active participation in the democratic processes within the organisations.
1.9 This Strategic Framework for Scottish Freshwater Fisheries sets out a roadmap for working towards future evolved management systems.
The vision
1.10 Our shared vision is that:
Scotland will have sustainably-managed freshwater fish and fisheries resources that provide significant economic and social benefits for its people.
The freshwater fisheries forum steering group
1.11 This Strategic Framework document has been developed by the Freshwater Fisheries Forum Steering Group. 1 The Group was set up in 2004, and chaired by a senior official of the Scottish Government. Its work on the development of the Strategic Framework commenced in July 2006. The Group comprised a wide range of stakeholders in the freshwater fisheries sector in Scotland. (See Appendix 1.) It accomplished its task in part through subgroup working, but also met several times in plenary session. Central government, other public body/regulatory bodies, private sector, anglers, netsmen and conservation representatives on the Group all have a direct interest in the Strategic Framework's objectives and have all contributed to their formulation.
The guiding principles
Strategic Objectives
1.12 The Strategic Framework takes account of the five core Strategic Objectives against which all initiatives in Scotland should be measured: Wealthier and fairer; Healthier; Safer and stronger; Smarter; and Greener. The Priorities for Action that arise from this Strategic Framework will be regularly monitored and reported in the context of progress towards achieving these Objectives for freshwater fisheries.
Sustainable Development
1.13 The Scottish Government published Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategic Framework2 in 2005. Scotland is committed to building a sustainable future. Individuals, businesses, local authorities and communities are taking action to change the way we use resources, plan and develop services, and seize the economic opportunities that sustainable development presents. Sustainability is therefore the overarching guiding principle for our vision for freshwater fisheries in Scotland and in preparing this document we have had regard to its economic, environmental, social and good governance or stewardship aspects, each of which is reflected in the guiding principles below and in our consideration of the issues in Part Two.
1.14 The definition of sustainability we have employed here is that published in Choosing Our Future: "to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations".
The environmental principle
1.15 Sustainable freshwater fisheries should operate in harmony with nature.
The economic principle
1.16 Freshwater fisheries should make a positive contribution to the Scottish economy through offering and promoting high quality fishing opportunities, and by being economically viable at a national and regional level within sustainable levels of exploitation.
The social principle
1.17 Freshwater fisheries will be recognised as a major contributor to the recreational enjoyment of Scotland's countryside. They will encourage social inclusion for all parts of our society by promoting recreational fishing development and increasing angling opportunities through the activity of owners, managers, and volunteers engaged in the management and use of the fisheries.
The principle of stewardship
1.18 While the first three principles relate to outcomes, the principle of stewardship relates to the ways in which these principles will be observed. It is about delivering outcomes sustainably and implementing the principle of public-private management partnership. It embraces the concepts of transparency, integration, co-ordinated government and proportionate regulation, partnership and stakeholder participation, accountability, and a culture of best practice and continuous improvement.
Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA)
1.19 The EU Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive came into force in July 2001 and has been implemented as the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. 3SEA is a key component of sustainable development establishing important new methods for protecting the environment and extending opportunities for participation in public policy decision making. SEA achieves this by:
- systematically assessing and monitoring the significant environmental effects of public sector strategies, plans and programmes;
- ensuring that expertise and views are sought at various points in the process from SNH, SEPA, Historic Scotland and the public; and
- requiring a public statement as to how opinions have been taken into account.
1.20 This Strategic Framework draft document was considered under the Act using the pre-screening process, and it was concluded that it was not in itself a plan, project or Strategic Framework ( PPS) requiring full SEA. However, the Act will impact in due course on the delivery of at least some of the actions listed in Part Three. Some of these will constitute plans and programmes in terms of the Act, and its requirements will need to be observed in undertaking them.
Equality
1.21 Progressing equality is about creating a fairer society where everyone is able to participate and everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. We believe that opportunities in freshwater fisheries should not be denied to anyone because of their race or ethnicity, gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability (particularly when reasonable adjustments can be made to overcome physical barriers), age, religion or belief or sexual orientation. 4 It has to be acknowledged that in some cases, such as remote Highland lochs, easy access may never be possible.
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