STAKEHOLDER REFERENCE GROUP (SRG) – FIRST MEETING
23 July 2012 - Note of meeting
Attendees
Name
Jeff Gibbons
Jillian Gilchrist
Scott Landsburgh
Andrew McIntosh
Alan Wells
Alex Kinninmonth
Carole Barker-Munro
David Bassett
Walter Speirs
Alastair Mitchell
Richard Slaski
Steven Bracken
Douglas Sinclair
Susan Davies
Organisation
Chair of SRG and Bill Team Manager, Marine
Scotland
Secretariat, Aquaculture Unit, Marine Scotland
Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO)
Scottish Anglers National Association
Association of Salmon Fishery Boards (ASFB)
SELink
Recreational Fisheries Team, Marine Scotland
British Trout Association
Association of Shellfish Growers
Aquaculture Unit, Marine Scotland
Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (SARF)
Marine Harvest
Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)
Scottish Natural Heritage
Welcome and Introductions
1. Jeff welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited members to
introduce themselves.
2. Apologies were received from John Rae as he hadn’t been receiving
the e-mails about the meeting.
Action point: Jillian to update members contact details
Background to the SRG
3. Jeff explained the background to the establishment of the SRG. The
Ministerial Group on Aquaculture (MGA) had been reconvened in June to
consider the way forward for the MGA and how to engage fully with key
stakeholders on the Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill. It was agreed that the
MGA was not the right forum to progress the detailed issues surrounding the
Bill and that a separate stakeholder group would be set up.
4. It had been agreed that the core membership of the SRG should be
representative of all those who have an interest in the Bill but that others
could be invited where there contribution would add value on specific issues
to be considered
Draft Remit and Membership
5. Jeff introduced and welcomed views on the draft paper on the remit
and membership of the SRG which had been circulated prior to the meeting.
6. Jeff informed the SRG about the timescale of the Bill and that whilst it
would be introduced in Parliament in the autumn, it had to be ready one
month prior to introduction.
7. Each section of the paper was discussed:
Remit
No specific comments were made about the remit and it was agreed.
How the group will work
 The SRG will last at least 12 months;
 The SRG will inform the discussion but it is not a decisionmaking body;
 The SRG will get sight of the Bill after the Parliament, however,
parts of the Bill may be shared prior to it going to Parliament, if
relevant to the discussions;
 Suggestion that MDs of Marine Harvest and Scottish Seafarms
are invited onto the group;
 There will be a core membership, which is dependent on the
remit, and other specialists invited to take forward specific areas
of interest;
 Debates can be ongoing through e-mail;
 When e-mailing others on the group the core membership of the
SRG should be copied in;
 Any correspondence that is restricted should be clearly marked;
This section of the paper was agreed with minor amendments to cover
the points above.
Action point: Jeff to amend paper for final sign off by the SRG
Governance
Jeff explained the governance structure flow chart and that the group
would get monthly updates once the Bill had started its progress
through the Parliament.
This section of the paper was agreed without change.
Membership
The group made a number of suggestions about people or
organisations that could be invited to the core SRG or as invited
specialists.
Organisation/interest Name
Core SRG or Decision
Specialist
Water Quality
Joyce Carr
Specialist
Agreed
Local planner
a few names Core SRG
Agreed
were
put
forward but the
request would
go to COSLA
MDs/CEOs of major MDs/CEOs
Core SRG
Agreed
aquaculture
would be invited
companies
and
could
nominate
delegates
to
attend
Freshwater
Core SRG
Consider
Fisheries/Institute of
necessary
Fisheries
Management
Various
Areas
of SG officials
Specialists
Agreed
Interest
The membership of the group shall be amended to included agreed
new members.
Action point: Jeff to invite new members to the SRG
Frequency of meetings
It was agreed that the SRG would meet before introduction of the Bill in
the Autumn. Date to be arranged by the SRG secretariat.
Meeting will be focused 2 hour meetings and the notes of meeting will
be published on the website once agreed by the SRG.
If people can’t make a meeting delegates can be nominated or
alternative means of communication e.g. video/tele conferencing can
be arranged.
Comment was made about inaccuracies in the copy list of members
and the SRG secretariat agreed to review this and resolve all errors.
Action: Jillian review and revised copy list of members and issue
with note of the meeting.
Future areas to be discussed
as
8. Consultation Analysis will be published late July/early August and this
would be discussed at the next meeting. The report would be made available
in good time before the meeting to allow members to read it
9. There was a discussion on the format and agenda of future meeting. It
was suggested that the group address each question in the consultation
paper 1 by 1. While the group recognised that not all of the proposals in the
consultation would be progressed through the Bill, they indicated they would
welcome a discussion around the individual proposals.
10. Following publication of the analysis, the Scottish Government would
publish a response. Members could be involved in contributing to this
response through the SRG and the Bill Team.
Next steps
11. The presentation by Jamie Byfield to the Ministerial Group on
Aquaculture would be circulated to the SRG.
12. The next meeting will be arranged for middle/late August.
13. Action points will be taken forward.
August 2012