Best baa none

A recently graduated student from North Lanarkshire proved to be top of the flocks after picking up two awards at Scotland’s Rural College.

Muesli helps slug it to farm pest

An unlikely new weapon in Scottish farming’s battle with the multi-million pound slug menace has been revealed – Swiss-style muesli.

Open consultation: Capacity Market and Emissions Performance Standard review: call for evidence

The government is conducting a review of the Capacity Market (CM) and the Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) as it is 5 years since the legislation introducing the policies – the Energy Act 2013 – was passed.

This call for evidence is the first step in the review process. It seeks views and evidence on the performance of the policies and on any opportunities to consider in ensuring they remain fit for the future.

See also: Evaluation of the transitional arrangements for demand-side response: phase 3, published alongside this call for evidence.

Research and analysis: Evaluation of the transitional arrangements for demand-side response: phase 3

An evaluation was commissioned in order to understand how the TA scheme was working and the impacts of TA auctions in relation to its intended objectives.

This third phase of the evaluation, which is reported here, examined participation in the second TA auction.

News story: Master and vessel owner ordered to pay £22,459 for fisheries offences

The court heard that in February 2017 information was received by MMO officers that led them to investigate the landing and subsequent sale of fish that had been declared by the fishing vessel Charisma (NN111).

Through analysis of CCTV footage from Sutton Harbour in Plymouth, officers identified that the vessel had not been out to sea. The vessel owner, Graham Searle was also master of the Emma Louise (PH5557), which had been fishing at the relevant time. It became clear that the incorrect vessel had been declared as having made the landing in order for the Emma Louise to land excess Pollock over her quota limit.

Mr Searle pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing on 9 July 2018, which was adjourned for sentencing until 31 July 2018. He was ordered to pay a fine of £13,295, costs of £8,994.30 and a £170 victim surcharge.

A spokesperson for the MMO said:

We are pleased the judge recognised the seriousness of these offences as a deliberate attempt to undermine regulations.

In cases like these MMO will always take proportionate and appropriate action, including prosecution, to ensure offenders do not benefit from such illegal activity and to protect fish stocks for the wider fishing industry and future generations.