"The Scottish Ministers may by regulations make provision for the imposition of a levy
on persons specified in subsection (2), to be known as a wild fisheries levy.
(2) The persons are—
(a) in relation to an Atlantic salmon fishery, an owner or occupier of the right to fish
for Atlantic salmon in the fishery,
(b) in relation to any other wild fishery, an owner or occupier of the land to which the
right to fish for freshwater fish (other than Atlantic salmon) in the fishery pertains."
This is worrying. As the SG have placed stocked and put and take fisheries under "Wild fisheries", there is now nothing to stop them imposing a charge on a private owner who manages his own fishery.
The purpose of a wild fisheries levy is to meet or contribute towards expenditure
incurred, or to be incurred, by the Scottish Ministers or Fisheries Management
Organisations—
(a) in promoting—
(i) the conservation of freshwater fish in wild fisheries and their habitats, and
(ii) best practice in the management of wild fisheries,
(b) otherwise in performing functions under this Act or any other enactment relating
to wild fisheries.
So a private fishery may have to pay a levy for a Minister to tell them how to run their fishery or to support other fisheries that may have asked for help.
Maybe I am reading in to thing to much??
Regulations under subsection (1) may, in particular—
(a) specify rates of levies, or provide for them to be determined, by reference to such
factors or circumstances as may be specified in or determined under the
regulations,
(b) make provision for the valuation of wild fisheries and for the entering of the
values in the valuation roll,
(c) provide for levies to be imposed on an annual or other recurring basis,
(d) provide for exemptions, discounts, remissions or repayments,
(e) provide for the collection and enforcement of levies,
(f) provide for the charging of interest on overdue levies,
(g) provide for appeals in respect of any matter determined under the regulations,
(h) provide for income from levies to be retained by the Scottish Ministers or
Fisheries Management Organisations,
(i) in relation to income from levies retained by Fisheries Management
Organisations, make provision about—
(i) the particular purposes for which the income may be applied,
(ii) the accounting for the income and the expenditure of the income,
(j) provide for the delegation of functions to a Fisheries Management Organisation in
relation to—
(i) the determination of the rates of levies and their administration, collection
and enforcement, or
(ii) any other matter provided for in the regulations.
I have to ask why a wild fishery would need a "valuation"? Only one reason...tax.