To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give any consideration to banning vessels from fishing for spurdog on Scottish sea lochs during the height of the spurdog breeding season.

Scientific advice indicates that spurdog can be vulnerable to over exploitation and recommends that there should be no targeted fishing. Whilst current EU legislation prohibits such a fishery in the North Sea, the prohibition does not apply to the North East Atlantic area. Consideration is currently being given at the EU level to extending the prohibition to all EU waters.