Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested information from the Marine Management Organisation (-�MMO-�) related to the closure of the Western Waters fishing area for scallop fishing for a period in 2011. The MMO disclosed some information but argued that most of the information was exempt under the exceptions contained in regulations 12(4)(e) (internal communications), 12(5)(a) (international relations), 12(5)(e) (confidentiality of commercial information), 12(5)(f) (interests of a person providing information) and 13 (personal data) of the EIR. The Commissioner-�s decision is that MMO has correctly withheld some of the information under regulation 12(5)(a). The Commissioner has identified some information that is not exempt under the exceptions relied on by the MMO. He has also identified some breaches of the EIR in its handling of the request. The Commissioner requires the public authority to disclose to the complainant the information that he has identified as not exempt from disclosure.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: EIR 7 - Complaint Upheld, EIR 12.4.e - Complaint Upheld, EIR 12.5.a - Complaint Not upheld, EIR 12.5.e - Complaint Upheld, EIR 12.5.f - Complaint Upheld, EIR 14 - Complaint Upheld, EIR 14 - Complaint Upheld