Request
1. Please could you tell me what information Crown Estate Scotland holds relating to the farming of Atlantic salmon in Scotland?
2. It is my understanding that Crown Estate Scotland requires all salmon farms located in Scotland to supply harvest information related to their license. Please provide any and all information held by Crown Estate Scotland relating to the harvesting of Atlantic salmon in Scotland during 2017? Please provide this on a farm by farm basis.
3. Please outline all of the processes and procedures by which Crown Estate Scotland will analyse, audit, record and use data relating to the production and harvesting of Atlantic salmon in Scotland?
4. Please provide an organisational structure showing those individuals working for Crown Estate Scotland involved in any way with Atlantic salmon farming in Scotland?
Response
1. Crown Estate Scotland hold information related to its role as landlord and the granting of seabed leases for farming of Atlantic salmon, namely; lease and lease option agreement applications and associated information in the form of plans, any required business plans and copies of relevant statutory consents; copies of Lease and Lease Option Agreements (including spatial records on our GIS); related correspondence with tenants and other authorities, rent review reports; alongside information on research & development projects undertaken either by Crown Estate Scotland or other organisations we consider relevant to our role and business planning.
2. Due to the nature of this question we have judged it appropriate to apply Section 43(2); THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 (FOISA). This provision exempts information whose disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (an individual, a company, the public authority itself or any other legal entity). We did however believe that it may be helpful for you to know that the total tonnage declared for 2017 for salmon only is 159,031.915 tonnes in gutted weight
3. Lease terms for salmon farms require that tenants submit annual returns for production, specifically the head-on, gutted weight of all fish harvested from the site or sites that constitute the subjects of a lease agreement, in kg or tonnes. This information is submitted on a bespoke reporting form. The annual rent due for a lease is calculated by applying the current per kg/tonne royalty to the reported production which is then checked and subsequently invoiced to the tenant. Records of production returns are retained, and this information is subject to the regulations pertaining to business and financial transactions in the UK. Salmon farming leases provide for 5 yearly reviews of the rent and reports of rent reviews are retained and published on our website
4. Organisational structure showing individuals who work for Crown Estate Scotland involved within Atlantic Salmon farming.
