 The cabinet secretary will take questions at the end of her statement, and so there should be no interventions or interruptions, and I call on Mairi Gougeon, cabinet secretary. Scotland Seas are wonderfully rich and diverse, and that is reflected in the abundance of wildlife that we see and the benefits that we all enjoy, whether that is through the delicious healthy seafood that we eat, the jobs that are supported or the coastal communities that reap the benefits from having this fantastic natural asset on their doorsteps. With such diversity and abundance comes great responsibility, and the sheer breadth of human activity at sea inevitably brings impacts for the marine environment. It is therefore incumbent on us all to understand, to manage, mitigate and reduce those impacts in order to secure our natural resources for generations to come. A key part of that is ensuring that fishing activity within Scottish waters is operating sustainably and responsibly. This commitment to sustainable fisheries management is locked into our overarching fisheries management strategy, and it will drive many of the new policies and management improvements planned over the period to 2030. It is also important to acknowledge the socioeconomic importance of fishing, and the last year has not been easy for many in the fishing industry. We have seen significant, on-going economic challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and many businesses and individuals are continuing to feel the devastating impacts from the UK's exit from the European Union, and they will continue to do so. I am proud that the Scottish Government has been able to support the fishing industry during this period through the provision of hardship funding and support towards a more resilient and safe future, for example, with targeted funding for the nephrop sector, investment in safety improvements in training and helping young fishers to enter the sector. That support must go further still. As we work with the fishing industry and the wider fisheries stakeholder community, that includes other UK fisheries administrations and international partners to adapt to the changing strategic and operating environment and to deliver a just transition towards a more sustainable future. The signing of the Bute House agreement in August last year means that the spotlight is now, more than ever, on the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, which requires urgent action in order to deliver change on a significant and long-lasting scale. In our current programme for government, we have committed to publishing our approach to the blue economy through an action plan. That recognises the importance of Scotland's marine space and marine sectors as national assets that are critical to meeting our ambitions for sustainable stewardship of the marine environment. The action plan will be underpinned by a vision and will provide a framing and ambition for Scotland's marine management policies, strategies and plans, including the fisheries management strategy. Our vision for Scotland's blue economy is clear that the actions that are required to sustainably steward our marine environment cannot be delivered in isolation. We have a strong tradition of co-management within Scotland, working with our fisheries stakeholders to respond to topical and difficult issues. By working in partnership through our co-management groups, I am confident that we can deliver the best outcomes for Scotland's marine environment, our seafood sector and coastal communities. The 12 actions that are underpinning our fisheries management strategy are important building blocks to deliver those outcomes. Our initial actions will be prioritised around the environment, recognising the scale of the change needed and to help tackle some of our most difficult fisheries management challenges. Today sees significant progress on two key actions. I am delighted to announce that we are publishing Scotland's draft future catching policy this afternoon. The introduction of the landing obligation as part of the common fisheries policy aims to tackle the widespread damaging and unacceptable issue of discarding across the EU. Scotland played a key role in shaping this discard ban, while part of the EU and we remain fully committed to the principles underpinning the current regulations. However, we and our stakeholders, including fishing and environmental groups, acknowledge that there have been issues with implementation and that the policy is not as effective as it could be. The future catching policy seeks to change that. By proposing a different approach, working closely with stakeholders, we will ensure that the right management measures are in place to support pragmatic decision making. The consultation will test a number of the main components in the future catching policy. Firstly, working in partnership with fishers, scientists and environmental groups, we aim to put in place additional technical and spatial management measures to reduce catches of unwanted fish. That might include increased net selectivity or spawning stock area closures. Secondly, we will help the fishing industry to avoid by-catch of sensitive marine species such as seabirds, seals and citations. No fisher wants to catch these species and we must work together to preserve them in the wider ecosystem. Thirdly, we will take a pragmatic approach by considering different fleet segments, avoiding the one-size-fits-all approach that we know does not work in mixed fisheries with varied management issues. Fourthly, we intend to adjust current rules around discarding to simplify where required and ensure that rules can be and are complied with. Finally, we recognise that increasing pressure on available marine space is creating tensions between some parts of the fishing fleet and seek views on additional management measures that may be required for the creel, gilnet and long-line fisheries. Those measures will enable Scotland to deliver on the high-level goals that we have jointly agreed with other UK Administrations within the UK Joint Fisheries Statement and Fisheries Framework. That approach is a practical demonstration of how this Government aims to manage fisheries in the future. Working in partnership to agree common goals with the details of the implementation left to our Administration to take forward, given our own unique circumstances, thus avoiding and ill-fitting one-size-fits-all single UK fisheries policy. The Scottish Government is committed to being a world leader in fisheries management. We take our role as guardian of Scotland's natural marine environment seriously. The future catching policy will build on our current approach, signalling a step change in the way in which unsustainable fishing practices are tackled. We hope to share learning with our UK and international fisheries partners, demonstrating leadership and supporting others to deliver the right outcomes for our shared fish stocks, our fishing industries and our local communities. To be clear, for both the future catching policy and remote electronic monitoring, all rules and regulations will be applied on a level playing field basis to Scottish vessels and non-Squartish vessels fishing in Scottish waters. Remote electronic monitoring, or REM, as it is usually known, adds a crucial layer to the future catching policy and is fundamental to the success of our wider strategy, ensuring that we are fishing sustainably and also delivering accountability and confidence. This morning, I published a consultation on the implementation of remote electronic monitoring to key parts of the fishing fleet. There is no doubt that Scotland's fishers produce a high-quality product that many of us enjoy, but we have to have the confidence that fish stocks are being fished sustainably and responsibly. Many fishers understand that and have taken positive steps to respond. Given the remote nature of fishing operations, it can often be difficult to demonstrate compliance and to deliver the confidence that we need. Technology can help us, and it is only right that we embrace it. Many fishers recognise that already. That is substantiated by the rise and uptake of voluntary REM installations on active Scottish scallop dredge boats since Covid restrictions started to ease. Over 80 per cent of our active over 10-metre scallop dredge fleet now carry REM on board, which in this case includes Cameras, and this is a significant achievement. The consultation on REM confirms this Government's commitment to introduce mandatory REM on board all scallop dredge and large pelagic vessels operating in Scottish waters. Subject to parliamentary time and approval, we aim to have that legislation in place by the end of 2022 to do this. The consultation seeks views on key aspects of implementation and on appropriate wider deployment to other parts of the fishing fleet. REM will enhance the baseline commitment made in the Butehouse agreement for all fishing vessels to be fitted with vessel tracking equipment by the end of this parliamentary term. REM places an enhanced and independent level of monitoring on board, for example by using cameras, sensors and GPS, so that we can determine the fishing activity taking place. In line with our commitment to proportionality, Cameras will not necessarily be needed in every case. REM can be adapted depending on need. This is simple but effective technology that will demonstrate Scotland's leading approach to making best use of cutting-edge management tools. REM will deliver on three main outcomes. First, it will enhance our knowledge of fisheries through the gathering of spatially rich scientific data allowing for better decision making. Secondly, it will deliver confidence and accountability in fishing practices, demonstrating that fishing activity is sustainable and lawful. Thirdly, it will improve the resilience of existing data collection processes, providing uninterrupted data collection, regardless of external factors, including Covid. I hope that my colleagues from around the chamber will support the policies that have been outlined here today and I look forward to hearing their views as we can progress with the development and implementation of our broader fisheries management strategy. I also encourage everyone with an interest to access and respond to the consultations that have been announced today. By publishing a future catching policy for Scotland and our proposals to require remote electronic monitoring by key parts of our fishing fleet, we are demonstrating Scotland's leadership in fisheries management, both here on these islands and internationally. We are cementing our credentials as responsible and sustainable fisheries managers and signalling to all fishing vessels operating in Scottish waters that we can and must do better in order to protect and enhance our fantastic marine environment for now and the future. By doing so, we will help to deliver a sustainable future for our fishers, our seafood industry and our coastal communities, too. The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes after which we will need to move to the next item of business. It will be helpful if members who wish to ask a question would press the request-to-speak buttons that place an R in the chat function. I call on Rachel Hamilton. Recent events have shown us that it is a critical importance, not just of energy security but of food security. In light of concerns around the socio-economic impact of the Bute House agreement to Scotland's fishing communities, is the Scottish Government committed to fishing as part of the wider importance of Scotland's food security now and in the future? How will the S&P Green coalition restore the trust and confidence of fishermen and coastal communities following the failures that the cabinet secretary acknowledged last week in the rain committee over the recent bot process of regulation, flawed consultation, lack of evidence and zero financial compensation for fishing communities on the Clyde? In relation to Rachel Hamilton's first point about food security, you are absolutely right. Fishing has an absolutely critical role. Fishing, our seafood industry, is vital in this regard because it is a sustainable source of protein that we need to ensure that we can catch sustainably now and into the future, which is part of the reason why we have set out the policies and the consultation that we have today. I just want to provide assurances on that front. In relation to Clyde Codd and the co-management in the process, as I appeared in front of the rain committee last week in relation to that, I rightly said that the process was far from ideal and I also apologise for that in that committee session because that process did not follow the principles of co-management that we seek to achieve and that we have had previously in relation to fisheries and working with our stakeholders. In relation to Clyde Codd, it has been a really complex issue to balance. As I committed to in the committee session, I aim to ensure that we learn the lessons from how that closure has been managed going forward into the future. I would say in terms of the policies that I have set out today that we have before us in front of the Parliament that have been developed closely with our stakeholders, but of course we want to hear views on that, which is why we are launching the consultation, but we are fully committed to co-management process going forward. Thank you to the cabinet secretary for the advanced site of her statement. Presiding Officer, it is vital that our future catching policy is future proof and is led by the best robust scientific evidence to deliver sustainability. The Scottish Government's recent shambolic handling of the Clyde Codd closure shows that there is a long way to go and there remains a gulf between the cabinet secretary's rhetoric and the reality when it comes to the implementation of policy. I welcome the two consultations published today. I hope that they will ultimately lead to the maximum roll-out of remote electronic monitoring and that there is not effectively the deregulation of discarding. Can the cabinet secretary give an assurance that the actions that come from those consultations will ultimately be governed by a clear commitment by government to fishing quotas staying within robust scientific advice for maximum sustainable yields? Will we also see a significant change in the long-term and how quota is allocated to fishing methods that widen the socioeconomic benefit and minimise the environmental impact? In relation to the member's first point about REM and the potential that that could lead to deregulation, that is absolutely not where we want to be. In terms of the future catching policy that we have set out for consultation today, that has been developed with our stakeholders because we very much support the principles behind the landing obligation in relation to reducing waste, improving accountability and safeguarding sustainability. What we are trying to do with our future future catching policy and what REM will really help supplement and help us to deliver the accountability for that is really to ensure that we have a policy that works and that is what we are committed to here and why we are looking at that. And trying to develop a policy that works for the mixed fisheries and the way that our fisheries operate in Scottish waters and in recognition of that. I think that the member had also raised a couple of points on quota. I would say that our general approach for the allocation of quota was set out in our future of fisheries management body of work, which was also developed after public engagement. Within that, there was widespread support to continue with the fixed quota allocation system and the Scottish Government has committed to its continued use for part of our quota. Where we have stated that we will act differently is in relation to the additional quota that Scotland receives as a result of EU exit and the distribution of this additional quota for 2023 onwards is going to be the subject of a forthcoming consultation. Emma Harper is to be followed within the Carson. The cabinet secretary did mention mixed fisheries in her statement and I know that the first of Clyde and the Clyde catchment area is really really important on the west coast. I have been contacted by constituents about the decision to include cruel fishers in the seasonal closure of cod fishing between the 14th of February and the 30th of April. I understand that this seasonal closure has been long-standing as a measure to protect the fish stocks, but can the cabinet secretary ensure that the Scottish Government will work closely with cruel fishers to ensure that they are able to plan for any potential future business interruption? Yes, absolutely. As I have said in previous responses, we are absolutely committed to that co-management approach. I understand again the concerns that have been raised by the member and that we are also raised during the committee's session the previous week. Of course, there were specific reasons why we no longer could permit crealing within the Clyde cod box closure, which have been outlined previously. Co-management is at the heart of what we are trying to deliver here. It has been at the heart of us developing the policies that we have put out for consultation today, and we will continue to be key going forward. I am sure that much thought went into producing the future catching policy to reflect current EU policies as a result of the SNP's misguided desire to blindly align with the EU's disastrous CFP at the expense of Scottish fishers. Is this a missed opportunity to genuinely co-design a much better system suitable for Scottish circumstances rather than tinkering around the edge with the EU's failed landing obligation? Very concerningly, there are multiple mentions of spatial restrictions in the statement, but not enough about spatial pressures. What did the Scottish Government plan to do to address spatial pressures between fishing and offshore wind, which, unless unresolved, will cause even greater pressure between fleet sectors in the future? I would like to point out to the member that the approach that we are setting out today in our future catching policy is world leading. Again, we completely support the principles that are behind the landing obligation, and what we are setting out today—I do not know if the member has had a chance to read the consultation document or go through it in detail—is something that is exactly tailored to our industry in Scotland and will deliver on the principles and the intended outcomes of the landing obligation and do it in a way that works for our industry and recognises the nature of the fisheries that we have here. The member also raised a point about offshore renewables and fisheries. We are aware that there are a number of conflicts there, and there are some specific issues. For example, we know that electricity cabling is a key issue for the fishing sector, and we are seeking to facilitate early engagement with the fishing sector on those matters and to guide developers in that. A sectoral marine plan for offshore grid is going to be undertaken by Marine Scotland to plan for the required network infrastructure, including cable corridors on the seabed and cable landing points for offshore grid, and commercial fisheries will be included in that planning process. Marine Scotland is also continuing to prioritise and address some of the research gaps that we know are there, including electromagnetic fields through the Scottish Marine Energy Research programme, and we are also in the process of setting up a monitoring group that we will consider EMF. Can I ask the Cabinet Secretary what the Scottish Government anticipates will be the long-term impact of its fisheries management policies and conservation measures on Scotland's fisheries? Will the introduction of more no-take zones such as the one in Arran's Lamash Bay will form part of those conservation measures? The fishing industry is a major beneficiary of the natural capital that our seas provide, so it is vital that we manage that resource carefully for now and as well as for future generations. Assessments have shown that action is needed for us to achieve good environmental status, and that is why we have committed to developing the remaining fisheries management measures for marine protected areas and key coastal biodiversity locations outside of those sites by 2024. In addition to that, we have also committed to designating at least 10 per cent of Scotland's seas as highly protected marine areas by 2026. That will go beyond what we see in no-take zones, because it will exclude all extractive, destructive and depositional activities, and that is not just fisheries. Thank you, Presiding Officer. It is concerning that the consultation appears to suggest that only marketable by-catch will be landed. It does nothing to cut the waste of dumping dead fish back into the sea, and it could also encourage catching of marketable fish for which there is no quota. I urge the cabinet secretary to ensure that all by-catches are landed. Aduses such as barn fish food are developed for otherwise unmarketable fish to cut waste. Will she also take steps to ensure that lucrative species with no quota are not targeted, which would put stocks in danger? A key part of what we are hoping to achieve with the future catching policy is that everything caught is accounted for, so I just want to assure the member on that point. In relation to the other points that she has raised as well, that is exactly why we are having this consultation, and it is to make sure that we get this policy right, and that is absolutely what we want to achieve. I encourage the member and our constituents to fill in this consultation and to make their views known on those specific issues. Can I ask the cabinet secretary how we are doing on discord ban compared with the EU approach and what is happening elsewhere in the UK? The landing obligation or the discard ban is part of retained EU law, and the current rules around discarding are consistent with the EU in the rest of the UK. Our commitment, as I have outlined in some of my previous responses today, to tackling discarding is not going to change, but we know that there are improvements that we can make to the implementation of the landing obligation that will make the rules around discarding more effective. What we are hoping to achieve through the future catching policy is to improve on those current rules while staying true to the principles of the landing obligation. What is really key to that is tackling unwanted catch, and that is helping fishers to avoid catching fish and other species that they do not want to catch in the first place. We really want to ensure that we share the learning through our future catching policy with our partners in the EU and the rest of the UK so that we can all improve outcomes for our shared fish stocks. It is not only the Scottish Government and environmental groups who want to see sustainable fisheries management. Fishermen whose livelihoods depend on healthy seas and thriving stocks want that too. In a crowded marine environment, Scottish vessels are being squeezed further with practices like gillnet fishing, which often add to marine litter, thereby exacerbating biodiversity loss. We have all seen images of seals and seabirds entangled in discarded fishing gear. Any changes need to be based in fact, and fishermen must have confidence that scientific evidence is accurate and up-to-date. How will the Scottish Government ensure just that, that the evidence that they are using is accurate and up-to-date? We want to ensure that by, obviously, I have outlined today that our commitment to that co-management process and listening to our stakeholders, that is very much what we want to achieve. In relation to the first point that the member raised about the crowded marine environment and some of the conflicts that we can encounter there, I know some of the matters that Beatrice Wishart has just raised. She has also responded to me about that. I want to touch on one of those specifically, which is raised in the consultation document, which is about gillnets in longlines, because we know that there are issues here. What is essential, though, is that we work together to arrive at the solutions to allow legitimate fishing operations to work alongside each other. That is why, within the consultation document itself, we have posed a series of questions to really try and explore some of the options that might be there, and we would hope to develop those into firm proposals following the consultation and, of course, working closely with our stakeholders, too. We acknowledge that, of course, there can be issues with finding space in the shared marine environment and we would expect all fishers to operate within the law and to do that in a safe and responsible way. As the cabinet secretary has said, there is a need to balance environmental, economic and social interests in fishing. How will the policy seek to do that and, in particular, reassure coastal communities that fishing is valued and has a viable future in spite of all the impacts of Brexit? First of all, I just really want to offer that assurance, because, as our fisheries management strategy outlines, fisheries management can be very complex and our decision making will always need to take a kind of variety of different factors. As we are taking forward the individual policies and actions within the strategy, we are seeking to use co-management to inform their development and, as part of our decision making, we will be taking a kind of various economic, social and environmental factors. What is important to the member here is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, because those factors depend on what we are trying to achieve and the specific policy that we are looking to deliver to. We know that the impacts of Brexit are being felt right across Scotland and that the fishing industry has been hit particularly hard in relation to trade. The Scottish Government is supporting the seafood sector through the Marine Fund Scotland, and I want to make clear that, in the Marine Fund, around £13 million has been awarded today across a range of different projects that include supporting our young fishers to enter the sea fisheries industry, vessel refurbishment, as well as helping them to purchase new and more sustainable fishing gear. That is in addition to the £40 million under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund that we provided to support an innovative and competitive sector that also helped to build that vital capacity, too. I welcome the consultation that is published today and the commitment to deliver a fisheries management strategy that is prioritised around the environment, recognising the scale of change needed. Since big changes are required, it is more important than ever to take a genuine co-management approach, which includes all stakeholder groups when developing policy to deliver fisheries for the future. I particularly welcome the commitment to roll out remote electronic monitoring across the Scottish fleet, a measure for which the Scottish Greens have been calling for for some time. The consultation indicates a staged approach to the development of REM on different fleet segments. We must prioritise the segment with the highest risk of wildlife by-catch and the greatest need to change gear, vessels and practices as a just transition requires sufficient time and support to make those changes. Can the cabinet secretary provide an indication of timings for the roll-out of REM across the different fleets, including the demersal fleet, to provide assurance that the majority of fishers will be given the tools that they need to play an even greater role as steward of the sea and by the end of this parliamentary session? We want to make sure that as we deliver this policy and as we develop it and we deliver it, that we do it in a way that works and that we get it right, because installing REM is a huge undertaking. That is exactly why we have proposed the approach that has been set out in the consultation in relation to the member's point on prioritising fleet segments. That is why we have focused initially on the pelagic sector as well as the scallop dredge fleet segment, too. We know that, for the scallop dredge fleet, 80 per cent of those over 10 metres already have REM installed, so there are some REM in a sense that could be more easily installed on the rest of that fleet, but we know that that will be more of a challenge for others where that technology has not been used or brought forward within the fleet itself. That is why we have set out the approach that we have had and we have asked within the consultation about rolling that out to further fleet segments, but we do think that that is absolutely critical in helping us to achieve the objectives of our future catching policy as well, but I think that we have tried to take that proportionate approach and ensure that when we deliver this policy we are doing it in a way that works and to ensure that we get it right. Thank you. Just a gentle reminder that when I call somebody to speak, it is an invitation for them to speak and for the person that was speaking to stop speaking. I call Audrey Nicholl to be followed by Edward Mountain. Can the cabinet secretary say how Scotland's catching policy will help to deliver the objectives that we are now required to work towards in the Fisheries Act of 2020? The Fisheries Act and the Joint Fisheries Statement set the common high-level goals on fisheries management, which the future catching policy provides the details on how we will deliver that by implementing more sustainable fishing gears to reduce by-catch as well as minimising catches of sensitive species and using monitoring tools in order to ensure that vessels in Scottish waters fish to the highest possible standards. But specific to the Fisheries Act 2020, the future catching policy will ensure that all management measures are developed in collaboration with the latest scientific evidence with the health of fish stocks in mind and ensuring a sustainable future for Scottish fisheries and honouring the sustainability, precautionary and scientific evidence objectives, and with the commitment to a level playing field for all measures in the future catching policy. That means that we will also be delivering on the equal access and national benefit objectives and with the suite of technical and spatial measures, the future catching policy will ultimately aim to be world-leading in the way that we address issues with by-catch, in line with the Fisheries Act, a by-catch ecosystem and climate change objectives too. Thank you, Presiding Officer. In 2015, the then Cabinet Secretary said that 21st century fisheries management needs 21st century tools. In 2016, your Government promised new legislation to address that. Unfortunately, nothing has happened since. Cabinet Secretary, we clearly need an indoor fisheries bill that Richard Lochhead and Fergus Ewing promised before they were sacked. Will you deliver where they failed? I'm sorry, I missed the first part of the member's comments there. What we're looking to achieve here, through setting out the policies that are out to consultation today and that we'll be delivering by legislation later this year, is truly world-leading. I just want to emphasise that to the member. We set out our future fisheries management strategy in 2020. We set out the 12 actions as a result of that, and we'll also be publishing our delivery plan. However, the future catching policy, the consultation that we've set out today and what we've set out on REM, really drives that strategy forward and again makes us world leaders in this field. Thank you, cabinet secretary. That concludes the item of business. There'll be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business.