Consultation on the marine fish farm charges
Feedback updated 28 Jun 2022
We asked
As part of our work to deliver One Planet Prosperity - Our Regulatory Strategy, in 2020, SEPA consulted on a new charging scheme for marine pen fish farms. The consultation is intended to address historic under-recovery and to fund the additional work introduced by the new approach to regulating aquaculture which ensures a transparent science-based approach.
You said
SEPA received consultation responses from stakeholder groups including a mixture of community and wild fisheries interests. These representations asked for greater ambition and higher chargers.
There were five industry representations which included all the major salmon companies and the British Trout Association representing the trout companies. The industry responses highlighted previous increases over the past five years and largely opposed increases of the scale proposed.
We did
SEPA has reviewed the feedback received and produced a Consultation on Proposals to Increase SEPA Charges for Marine Pen Fish Farms: Analysis and Response
Overview
There has been a significant change in the type of work SEPA has and will do in regulating the marine fish farm industry. This goes from how we assess the initial applications through to the way we monitor fish farms, audit the way operators manage their activities and directly inspect the site. We consulted at the end of 2018 on our finfish aquaculture sector plan on what we intended to do and this work then forms the basis for the changes in our work and therefore charges.
This is all part of our work to deliver One Planet Prosperity - Our Regulatory Strategy . In particular how we will deliver our sector plans which “will focus on practical ways of delivering environmental, social and economic outcomes.” Our website clearly outlines how we are delivering on One Planet Prosperity, including sector working.
Why your views matter
This charging scheme consultation is intended to address historic under-recovery and to fund the additional work introduced by the new approach to regulating aquaculture which ensures a transparent science-based approach. We will continue to work with operators and stakeholders to ensure that we achieve the objectives of regulation whilst minimising the costs.
We are keen to support innovation by the industry to develop more sustainable approaches. These types of applications typically require considerably more resources. We will however manage these applications on this basis of the standard charges whilst ensuring adequate resource is in place to process such applications as quickly as possible so as to help the industry develop its ambitions to be more sustainable.
We are also hosting a series of aquaculture charges stakeholder meetings to help explain our proposal. More details are available at the foot of this page.
Events
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Aquaculture charges stakeholder meeting
From 20 Oct 2020 at 09:30 to 20 Oct 2020 at 12:30An opportunity to hear more about our marine fish farm charging proposal. To sign up email aquaculture.charges@sepa.org.uk confirming your preferred date.
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Aquaculture charges stakeholder meeting
From 26 Oct 2020 at 09:30 to 26 Oct 2020 at 12:30An opportunity to hear more about our marine fish farm charging proposal. To sign up email aquaculture.charges@sepa.org.uk confirming your preferred date.
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Aquaculture charges stakeholder meeting
From 28 Oct 2020 at 13:00 to 28 Oct 2020 at 16:00An opportunity to hear more about our marine fish farm charging proposal. To sign up email aquaculture.charges@sepa.org.uk confirming your preferred date.
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Aquaculture charges stakeholder meeting
From 2 Nov 2020 at 09:30 to 2 Nov 2020 at 12:30An opportunity to hear more about our marine fish farm charging proposal. To sign up email aquaculture.charges@sepa.org.uk confirming your preferred date.
Audiences
- Aquaculture
Interests
- Aquaculture
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