 I remind members of the Covid-related measures in place and that face masks should be worn while moving around the chamber and around the Holyrood campus. The next item of business is portfolio questions and the portfolio is rural affairs and islands. As ever, if a member wishes to ask a supplementary question, could they please press their request-to-speak buttons or place an arm in the chat function during the relevant question? To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding cross-government action to improve connectivity for Scotland's island communities. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands is my responsibility to ensure cross-government co-ordination on islands, and that involves regularly meeting with ministerial colleagues across all portfolios, including the Minister for Transport. Work continues across both rural affairs and islands and transport portfolios at ministerial and official level to ensure that a co-ordinated response to the challenges that arise for our island communities. Services, tourism and cultural events are essential to islanders, but their local economy is being put at risk by failing ferries. The message from ferry bodies in the Scottish Government is now that islanders' expertise should not even be represented in Calmax and Seamills boards. Why is the central belt-focused SNP Government ignoring islanders and what action will it take to make sure that islanders' voices are heard? I refute that claim straight off as well. This is not a central belt government. I represent a rural constituency, as do a number of my colleagues as well. That is absolutely at the heart of the work that I do as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs. In relation to the point that the member has raised, we are absolutely committed to ensuring that island residents and communities' views are represented appropriately. We have asked the new chair as a priority to consider how that might be achieved. Residents of island communities are free to apply to become members of the DML board if they wish. We advertised the recent chair in three non-executive director positions widely, including on the vessels travelling to our island communities. Members were appointed based on their abilities and understanding of the role of transport, including ferries, in maintaining the economic and social integrity of the highlands and islands. That is a requirement for all board members. Transport links are integral to rural disparate communities. The island of Dura in my constituency has had a 40 per cent population increase in the past 10 years. However, their transport links need some improvement. Can the cabinet secretary outline what plans the Scottish Government has to engage with island residents regarding its connectivity needs as it progresses its commitment to deliver the island's connectivity plan and ensure that our island communities flourish? Responsibility for ferries lies with the Minister for Transport, Graham Day. As Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, I absolutely understand the interdependency of transport and the wider challenges of island community sustainability. That is a message that I was happy to convey in recent engagement that I had with the ferries community board. I remain absolutely committed to ensuring that the Scottish Government will continue to engage on population challenges, including island connectivity needs through developing positive policies that we have talked about previously in the chamber, such as island spawns, the carbon neutral islands and the island's connectivity plan. The island's connectivity plan, which is going to replace the current ferries plan from January 2023, will include a long-term investment programme for new ferries and development imports that aim to improve resilience, reliability, capacity and accessibility to meet the needs of our island communities. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the implications for the fishing sector in Scotland of the outcomes of the sea fisheries negotiations. Our aim across all negotiations is to find a balanced and sustainable outcome for the Scottish fishing industry, supporting the sector today as well as ensuring its future. I am pleased to say that the coastal states consultations have successfully concluded, and we have reached agreement on 2022 catch limits for mackerel, blue-whiting and atlantoscandi and herring and a work plan to continue sharing discussions in early 2022. We estimate the value of the deal for Scotland to be worth around £186 million through 2022. The bilateral talks are on-going and, although we do not yet have the final outcomes, I can assure the chamber that we are engaging constructively with our international fishing partners to get the best possible outcome for Scotland. I will notify the Parliament of the outcome of all the negotiations when they are complete. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Can the cabinet secretary confirm the change to tonnage in fish exports from Scotland and whether she flecks the promises of improvements made by proponents of Brexit per chance? We have the data that has been obtained from HMRC, and that shows for the first two quarters of this year. The fish exported to the EU from Scotland was just over 68,000 tonnes, which is a 13.5 per cent decrease from the same period in 2019. I think that that goes to show the clear evidence of the disastrous impact on the Scottish seafood sector, which relied heavily on the EU for trade. Over 70 per cent of Scottish seafood exports were to the EU in 2019, and that was worth over £778 million. The Scottish Salmon Producers organisation reported losses of at least £11 million in January alone as a direct result of the changes that were brought about by Brexit. Additionally, the organisation estimates that businesses are spending around £200,000 a month due to extra paperwork. The loss in trade to the seafood sector since early January this year offers the clearest evidence that we have seen so far of the additional costs and impact of the association with becoming an EU third country and the trade frictions that that has introduced. The cabinet secretary will want to ensure that new offshore wind developments do not interrupt established fishing operations. However, the Scottish Shetland Fishermen's Association earlier this week highlighted a number of concerns around data use, noting a lack of reflection for movements of non-Scottish vessels or consideration of issues caused to fishermen outside of bottom trawling. Will the cabinet secretary look into those concerns and if required take action to support the industry when developments are being considered? We just want to assure the member that we have regular engagement both myself and my officials with the industry, but for their particular concerns there that they wish to discuss with me, they are more than happy to look into that. Question 3, Murdo Fraser. To ask the Scottish Government what compensation will be made available to farmers who have been impacted by beaver activities. The reintroduction of beavers represents a step forward in restoring Scotland's biodiversity. We want to ensure that more of Scotland benefits from the biodiversity enhancements brought by beavers. NatureScot will continue to support land and fisheries managers experiencing negative beaver impacts through providing free advice and help with practical management through the Scottish beaver mitigation scheme. We want to work with land managers to find ways of coexisting with beaver populations. Developing support mechanisms for land managers who are delivering positive biodiversity outcomes will be more productive in the longer term than compensation based on negative impacts. Murdo Fraser. I thank the minister for that response. The Government's recent decision to allow the expansion of the beaver population into new parts of Scotland has been welcomed by some, but many farmers are already suffering significant financial loss due to beaver damage, for example, to flood banks or cutting down trees, and as a result they have lost crops. Hearing that they are going to be offered free advice is going to be of very little comfort to them when they are facing significant financial loss. What new financial assistance will be made available to farmers who are suffering as a result of the decision made by the Scottish Government? The NatureScot beaver mitigation scheme is now in place and can offer land managers advice and practical assistance with mitigating the impacts of beavers, including taking proactive measures to prevent impacts where they are appropriate. That includes the protection of high-value trees, heritage trees, landscape trees and immunity trees, the installation of flow devices in beaver dams and where appropriate beaver exclusion ffensing. NatureScot will continue to work with stakeholders in developing the mitigation scheme and with new and innovative approaches. Licensing approaches are available to prevent serious damage where mitigation cannot resolve the conflict. Supplementary first, Ariane Burgess. Scottish Environment links beaver champion. I am delighted that beavers will now be allowed to expand across the country. It means that many more people can benefit from the ecological benefits they bring as ecosystem engineers, as well as the sheer joy of once again sharing our natural environment with these charismatic animals. I am sure that there are many land managers who would benefit from and welcome beavers on their land. Can the minister advise what they need to do to receive a translocated beaver family? I thank the member very much for her question and for her work as Scottish Environment links beaver champion. There are many people in Scotland who would love to have beavers on their land if they have the appropriate environment for them, and any land managers interested in having translocated beavers on their land should contact NatureScot through the email and phone contact details on their webpage beaversatnature.scot or 01463725364. NatureScot will discuss the different aspects of translocating beavers to their site, and that includes scoping site suitability, carrying out effective public engagement and consultation, the practical aspects of trapping and transportation, captive holding, whilst animals are being health screened and some level of post release monitoring. There is no doubt that I have to agree that there are definitely farmers not far from our constituency, Mr Fraser, who have actually looked to get beavers translocated to their land. However, I accept that they make an important contribution to restoring Scotland's natural environment, but their modifications to the environment can in some places produce negative impacts on agricultural land. Can the cabinet secretary provide any further information as to what the support from the Scottish Government will be, particularly to the fences that you just alluded to a minute ago, to help to negate the negative impacts of beavers being introduced? Absolutely. I thank the member for the question. The member is quite correct that the reintroduction of beavers demonstrates our commitment to protect and enhance biodiversity. Beavers have a really positive impact on biodiversity, creating new wetland habitat for a range of important species. They also help to reduce flood risk by slowing down flows and improving water quality by filtering out sediments. The NatureScot beaver mitigation scheme is in place and can offer land managers practical assistance in mitigating the impact, such as what I have listed already, protecting high-value trees, installation of flow devices and where appropriate beaver exclusion ffensing. NatureScot will continue to work with stakeholders in developing those mitigation schemes and making sure that land owners and land managers can live alongside beavers. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work outlined in the programme for government to determine how best to support new and young entrants into farming. We are continuing to work on options that will best add to the existing support provided by our farming opportunities for new entrants, the Scottish Land Matching Service, Farm Advisory Service and direct payments. Our aim remains that the outcome will be announced soon. Despite the SNP throwing taxpayer money and encouraging young women to join agricultural industry, the young farmers start-up grant scheme only handed out funding to 62 women across Scotland over four years. In 2019, there was only one successful applicant, just one. Young farmers deserve better than this, especially young women in rural areas. Does the cabinet secretary believe that a single successful applicant in one year is an acceptable return of investment? Will she outline exactly what measures she is taking to improve on this abysmal record? We are absolutely committed to ensuring that we see more new entrants into farming. I was just visiting an opportunity this week through the farming opportunities for new entrants where we have been looking at the opportunities that can be offered through public land to encourage new entrants as well. However, in terms of getting more women and more diversity into agriculture, absolutely, can we do more? I agree with that, too. That is why we made specific commitments in our manifesto in relation to getting more women into agriculture and to make Scottish agriculture more inclusive. Women living and working in Scottish agriculture are an essential part of the future of the rural economy. Developing and expanding their skills will ensure the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector. We have committed £300,000 this financial year to bringing about practical solutions to support women. That includes the wider role of being your best self, personal development training, a pilot of agricultural business skills training and a project to test innovative solutions for childcare in rural areas. The development of Skillshare, which is a skill sharing app to encourage greater participation in rural and land-based learning. During the course of this session of Parliament, we will double the funding to support women in agriculture of up to £600,000. To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being put in place to protect livestock against avian flu. The chief veterinary officer for Scotland confirmed a second outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 at premises near Gretna in Dumfries and Galloway on 3 December. As with the earlier case in Angus, protection and surveillance zones were immediately established around the infected premises, which put in place a range of mandatory disease control measures, such as restrictions on the movement of poultry, domestic mammals, carcasses, eggs and other poultry products. In response to an increased risk of spread of disease from migratory birds, Scottish ministers introduced a national avian influenza prevention zone on 3 November. Those measures were enhanced on 29 November, requiring housing of all poultry and captive birds and for our keepers to apply further robust biosecurity measures, which are key to preventing the spread of disease. Advice from public health and from epidemiologists is that this strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza represents a very low risk to human health and to other mammals. Investigations as to the source of the infection and links with the current infected premises in livestock is an element of the wider epidemiological investigation process to ensure that the disease is stamped out as quickly as possible. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. With Covid-19 impacting businesses in various ways, what support is in place for bird keepers if the worst should happen to their livestock? Compensation is paid for birds that have to be called as part of our disease response in line with valuation tables. Those are updated regularly by the animal and plant health agency on behalf of the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government does not compensate for any dead or visibly ill birds, which is in line with the policy elsewhere in the UK. If a larger poultry or captive bird business is in a disease control zone, there might be trade issues that are associated with regionalisation, and the Scottish Government works with the deffra market access and veterinary trade facilitation teams who liaise with poultry industry stakeholders and the APHA Centre for international trade to really try and understand and address the issues and priorities for poultry exports. Deffra market access also liaise with British Embassy colleagues globally to answer trade-related queries from central competent authorities and provide updates to third country trading partners and really seek clarity on the terms of trade where that is required. The Scottish Government will liaise with the National Farmers Union Scotland and the British Industry Council to support those affected businesses where that is required. However, I emphasise again that it is good by security that is extremely important for keepers to practice in order to reduce the risk of their birds being infected by a notifiable avian disease. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the agriculture and fisheries sectors to play a leading role in delivering a net zero Scotland. The Scottish Government is committed to driving action to support all sectors to transition to net zero and ensuring that that transition is a just one. It is clear that agriculture and fisheries have to play a leading role in that. Policies and programmes such as the blue economy vision, the future fisheries management strategy and the agriculture reform implementation oversight board, as well as practical measures like the Marine Fund Scotland and the national test programme are enabling conversations and supporting innovation, as well as helping farmers and fishers understand how their work impacts on climate and nature and what they can do to deliver that change. Given that the Greens and SNP partnership agreement has got nothing to say about ending overfishing, it has got nothing to say about ending the wasteful practice of discarding, and it has got nothing to say about landing a bigger share of the catch closer to home in Scottish ports, does the cabinet secretary think that that is consistent with securing sustainability and environmental recovery for our inshore seas and fisheries? The co-operation agreement that we have with the Scottish Green Party is highly ambitious in a lot of areas and is really looking to protect our marine environment. Just because certain specific elements are not listed within that, that does not mean that they are of course not important. I would also outline the measures that we have that we have already set out as part of our future fisheries management strategy about how we intend to take the steps to make sure that our marine environment is a healthy one and that we continue to fish in a sustainable way. There are plans to locate offshore wind farms and rich fishing grounds west of Shetland to provide electricity for oil and gas installations. Shetland Fisherman's Association has highlighted flaws in the offshore wind farm consultation process, as Jamie Halcro Johnston has already alluded to earlier. Can the Scottish Government commit to gathering and fully assessing data on all fishing activity from those areas and listen to local fishermen's concerns? I would just emphasise and reiterate what I stated in my previous response to Jamie Halcro Johnston. I am the fisheries minister and it is critical for me that I listen to the concerns that are voiced and I am more than happy to engage on that and to listen to the Shetland Fisherman's Association concerns directly. In light of our climate emergency and the urgent need to give farmers communities and landowners clarity over net zero, will the Scottish Government join Scottish Conservatives calls back by the Woodland Trust Scotland to simplify and make changes to grant schemes for riparian planting? Now, rather than waiting until 2024 when it might just be too late to save iconic species such as salmon. There are a number of pieces that are obviously on-going in relation to protecting our iconic species, as Rachel Hamilton mentioned, and I would be more than happy to contact her about the suggestion that she has there about riparian tree planting and how that will be considered in the future. Can the minister provide any further details as to the steps that are being taken to introduce ammonia emissions in the agricultural sector? In response to the member, we have updated the regulations that govern controls on the storage and application of slurry and digested by introducing the legislative requirement to use low-emission precision spreading equipment. We can reduce the ammonia emissions from agriculture by up to 70 per cent, which ultimately protects our vital water environment and reduces the agricultural impact on climate change. That will also make an important contribution to the commitments on reducing air pollutant emissions from agricultural activity, which are set out in our new air quality strategy, which was published earlier this year. Through the national test programme, which I announced at the end of October, we will also be providing support for nutrient management plans, supporting more efficient fertiliser use and so reduce ammonia emissions. Thank you very much indeed, cabinet secretary. That concludes portfolio questions with a slight pause while the front bench is changing and we move on to the next item of business.