These Regulations make provision for and in connection with tagging the carcasses of salmon within inland waters in Scotland. The duty to affix a tag to salmon carcasses does not apply to any salmon which is taken in fish farms or where the exemptions at section 27 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003 apply. They do not apply where salmon is caught by rod and line and where the salmon is taken in the Lower Esk south of the medium filum under the authority of a licence issued by the Environment Agency.

Regulation 4 prescribes the method of tagging and the time by which the carcass must be tagged. Regulations 5 and 6 prescribe the nature and form of, and the information to be contained in, salmon tags. Tags are supplied and issued by the Scottish Ministers (regulation 8) and cannot be removed from a salmon carcass except in the circumstances prescribed in regulation 7(2).

Persons who are under a duty to tag salmon carcasses must keep a record in accordance with regulation 9. The record must be submitted to the Scottish Ministers within the period of 2 weeks from the date of the start of the annual close time for the salmon fishery district, or part of a salmon fishery district, within which the salmon was taken (regulation 9(2)).

These Regulations were notified in draft to the European Commission in accordance with Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 241, 17.9.2015, p.1) which lays down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical regulations and rules on Information Society services.

A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment in relation to these Regulations has been prepared and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies of it can be obtained from Marine Scotland, Victoria Quay, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ and online at www.legislation.gov.uk.