Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
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The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) is an Executive Agency of the Marine Directorate, part of the Scottish Government. The SFPA is responsible for both deterring illegal fishing in Scottish waters, as well as monitoring the compliance of the fisheries industry in Scotland with the relevant Scottish and European Union laws on fisheries. The Agency has a fleet of 4 Fishery Protection Vessels, and 2 aircraft for the purposes of monitoring and enforcement in the waters around Scotland.
The SFPA is headquartered in Pentland House, Edinburgh and maintains branch offices in fishery ports around Scotland.
[edit] History
The British Parliament has legislated for the protection and control of fisheries in the waters around the United Kingdom since the early 19th century. In the early 1800’s the Commissioners of the British White Herring Fishery were appointed who had the power to detail naval vessels to superintend the herring fisheries and officers of the fishery were appointed with particular emphasis on the certification of cured herring for export and for making the necessary brand on the barrel. Experience as a cooper - a maker of barrels - remained a qualification for Fishery Officers until as recently 1939.
In 1882, the Fishery Board for Scotland was established for the purposes of protecting sea fisheries in the waters around Scotland and land-based inspection of landings. By 1909, the Board's fleet included 5 steam vessels and at the outbreak of the World War II, the fleet had been increased to 8 vessels which included 2 small motor boats. The Board's responsibilities were transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland in 1939.
In April 1991 the Secretary of State for Scotland established the fisheries protection and enforcement services as an executive agency as part of the Government’s Next Steps Initiative, which sought to devolve specific activities from central Government to free-standing organisations, headed by Chief Executives accountable to Ministers. Hence, the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency was established as an executive agency of the Scottish Office with the resources of 230 staff, 20 coastal offices, 6 protection vessels and 2 surveillance aircraft. Following devolution in Scotland, the agency transferred to the control of the Scottish Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD).
In 2007, the Scottish National Party (SNP) changed the structure of the Scottish Executive (now known as the Scottish Government), and the SFPA became associated with the Marine Directorate. The letters "SF" appearing in the Agency's ensign relate to the words "Sea Fisheries" as the agency is part of the Sea Fisheries Inspectorate.
[edit] Responsibilities
From the SFPA's annual report for 2006-07, the principal activities of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) are to:
- pursue and implement an effective strategy for fisheries enforcement
- deter illegal fishing by UK and foreign vessels by air and sea surveillance
- detect breaches of fisheries regulations by monitoring and inspection at sea and in ports and report as appropriate to the prosecuting authorities
- provide intelligence on fishing activities and information and advice in support of the management of fisheries policy
- deliver and manage its inspection and protection services economically, efficiently and effectively
The SFPA had an annual budget of around £21 million in the financial year ending 31 March 2007.
[edit] Resources
[edit] Fishery Offices
The SFPA operate from 18 coastal offices around the coast of Scotland. These offices are staffed by warranted British Sea Fishery Officers (BSFOs), supported by Fishery Assistants and Fish Samplers.
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These are overseen by three Area Managers based one each at Peterhead, Inverness, and Oban.
The main role of shore-based Fishery Officers is to monitor fishing vessels at the point of landing to monitor compliance with the CFP, as well as UK & Scottish regulations, for example by checking documentation such as the logsheet, monitoring catch landed and checking the fishing gear used. Shore-based Officers will also inspect fish markets to enforce marketing regulations, to check the correct grading of fish and to check for any under-sized fish offered for sale. Fishery Officers are also responsible for checking withdrawals of unsold fish on behalf of the RPA.
Shore-based officers also provide advice and answer queries from fishermen and the general public, as well as processing transactions involving fishing vessel licences.
[edit] Fishery Protection Vessels
Historically, additional Fishery Protection Vessels were provided by the Fishery Protection Squadron of the Royal Navy which was previously based at Rosyth. In 1994, the Agency determined that this assistance was no longer required and the Fishery Protection Squadron was moved to Portsmouth as part of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). Since that time, all Fishery Protection operations in Scottish waters (with the exception of joint exercises) have been conducted by SFPA vessels.
The SFPA maintains a fleet of Fishery Protection Vessels (FPVs) and have 4 FPVs in service as of 2008. A fleet renewal programme to replace the aging Sulisker type began in 2003 with the delivery of the first Minna type, followed by the Jura type in 2005. It was intended to upgrade the fleet to 3 Jura type vessels and 2 Minna type vessels, however the renewal programme is under review by the Scottish National Party Government[1][2]
Scottish FPVs are responsible for the enforcement and monitoring of fisheries regulations at sea in Scottish waters. FPVs are not military ships and are not armed. They use the prefix FPV, and fly the SFPA's ensign. The Agency fleet currently consists of three vessel types.
[edit] Jura Type
The new Jura type are offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of 2,200 tonnes. These vessels can stay on effective patrol for up to 30 days although the normal patrol length remains at 21 days.
FPV Jura was constructed by Ferguson Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow as the first ship to replace the Sulisker type vessels, joining the fleet in March 2006.
In the tendering for the next two Jura type vessels to be built, the Scottish Executive awarded the contract to a Polish shipbuilder rather than Fergusons, sparking strong criticism from the Scottish National Party.
FPV Hirta, was constructed in Remontowa Shipyard, Poland, and launched on 17 August 2007. The vessel joined the fleet in May 2008.
[edit] Minna Type
The Minna type, are inshore/offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of 781 tonnes and a maximum speed of 14 knots. Vessels of this type can also spend up to 21 days on patrol. Currently there is only one vessel of this type, FPV Minna[3] which was launched in 2003.
In May 2006, the vessel replacement programme was delayed when the SFPA was forced to suspend the tender process for a second Minna type inshore vessel after it was found that the process was in breach of EU procurement rules. [4]
The current Minna is the third FPV to bear the name (named after a character in Sir Walter Scott's The Pirate), with previous vessels serving between 1901-1939 and 1939-1974.[5]
[edit] Sulisker Type
The older Sulisker type are offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of 1,365 tonnes and a maximum speed of 18 knots. They can spend up to 21 days on patrol. The only ship currently in service is:
- FPV Norna (launched in 1987)
The first of the type, FPV Sulisker was launched in 1980 and decommissioned late 2005. The vessel is currently undergoing conversion to a luxury yacht in Lowestoft. FPV Vigilant (launched in 1982) was decommissioned in Spring 2008.
[edit] Island Type
The last of the Island type, FPV Westra was launched in 1975 and decommissioned in 2003. The vessel was purchased by Sea Shepherd in 2005 and was renamed MY Robert Hunter in memory of one of the two founding members of Greenpeace. The vessel has since been renamed MY Steve Irwin.
The Island type were offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of 1,017 tonnes and a maximum speed of 16.5 knots. In contrast to the more modern vessel types, the Island type could only remain on patrol for 16-18 days.
[edit] Fishery Protection Aircraft
The SFPA also have two surveillance aircraft, a Reims Cessna Caravan II F-406 (with a replacement currently under construction) and a Reims Vigilant F-406, both based at Inverness Airport. The aircraft are operated by Highland Airways under contract.
[edit] SFPA Headquarters
[edit] Scottish Fisheries Monitoring Centre
The Scottish Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) is based in the Operations Room of the SFPA and is responsible for the maintaining and monitoring the VMS satellite tracking system of fishing vessels in Scottish waters.
[edit] United Kingdom Fisheries Call Centre
Since 1st June 2005, the UKFCC has been the single point of contact for all notification or reporting requirements from fishing vessels in UK waters, working of behalf of the SFPA, the Marine Fisheries Agency of England and Wales (MFA, previously part of DEFRA), and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Northern Ireland (DARNDI) to enforce relevant UK and European Union laws on fisheries.[6]
[edit] See also
- Marine and Fisheries Agency of England and Wales
[edit] External links
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