A marine sustainability charity has accused the Scottish government of "floundering" over its plans for managing Scotland's fisheries post-Brexit, reports The Herald.

Open Seas said the government's failure to meet a 2024 target for delivering fisheries management plans (FMPs) for 22 Scottish fisheries was undermining efforts to ensure long-term sustainability and biodiversity.

Under the 2022 Joint Fisheries Statement agreed by all four UK national governments, Scotland committed to producing 22 FMPs by 2024 for the sustainable management of key stocks in Scottish waters. These include cod, herring, haddock and nephrops (better known as scampi or langoustine).

However, on Thursday, secretary for rural affairs Mairi Gougeon confirmed that the deadlines for completing the plans needed to be "amended" and that a consultation on delaying them to the end of 2026 was underway.

"A significant amount of work has already been completed, however, this work is complex and further stakeholder engagement and consultation is needed," she said. "The statutory deadlines, therefore, need to be amended to ensure the right time and space to develop and deliver robust and effective plans."

Open Seas claimed this explanation appeared to be a "smokescreen" for delays caused by poor management and an inappropriate allocation of public funds.