Scottish Fisheries Management Agency

The Scottish Fisheries Management Agency is an agency within the Department of Agriculture and is headed by the Director of the Scottish Fisheries Management Agency. The SFMA is responsible for both deterring illegal fishing in Scottish waters, as well as monitoring the compliance of the fisheries industry in the Republic of Scotland with the relevant Scottish laws on fisheries.

The Headquarters of Scottish Fisheries Management Agency is in Victoria Quay, Edinburgh. It houses the supporting arms of the Agency including Finance, Corporate Affairs, Human Resources, Training, Pay, Procurement and Health & Safety as well as the Prosecution & Enforcement Policy branch and the Marine Monitoring Centre.

Marine Monitoring Centre

The Marine Monitoring Centre is responsible for tasking Scottish Fisheries Management Agency assets, primarily FPVs and surveillance aircraft, to address its key priorities, which are determined using risk-based analysis. The MMC is manned between 0700–2200 Monday to Friday and 0800-1100 on weekends.

Scottish Fisheries Research Service

The Scottish Fisheries Research Service is responsible for research within the territorial Waters of the Republic of Scotland.

Coastal Inspection

The Coastal Inspection staff, who make up the Sea Fisheries Inspectorate, are split into two Areas – North / East and South / West – the split of Fishery Offices in each area is provided below:
 * FO Eyemouth
 * FO Pittenweem
 * FO Aberdeen
 * FO Peterhead
 * FO Fraserburgh
 * FO Buckie
 * FO Scrabster
 * FO Kirkwall
 * FO Lerwick

The main tasks for the Coastal SFI is to ensure the integrity of the Quota Management System and the enforcement of regulations on effort limitation, stock recovery programmes, VMS and the Registration of Buyers and Sellers act. This is accomplished by: Marine SFI
 * FO Kinlochbervie
 * FO Lochinver
 * FO Ullapool
 * FO Stornoway
 * FO Portree
 * FO Mallaig
 * FO Oban
 * FO Campbeltown
 * FO Ayr
 * Inspections of catches in ports on board vessels, in fish markets and on landing for direct sale.
 * Ensuring catches are accurately recorded against quota and that buyers and sellers are complying with the regulations.
 * Carrying out post landing investigations in cases where there is reason to suspect that catches were not accurately declared at the time of landing and sale. Carrying out audit checks on registered buyers under protocols with the Marine Directorate.

The Marine Sea Fisheries Inspectorate (SFI)

The Marine Sea Fisheries Inspectorate are responsible for the inspection of fishing vessels at sea in Scottish waters and Scottish vessels in the waters of other member states. The high profile of the fleet at sea acts as a deterrent against illegal fishing and is pivotal to the information informing the Real Time Closure (RTC) scheme.

The Scottish Fisheries Management Agency has 5 C-12A Huron for patrolling along with 4 Bangaram-Class patrol vessels.