§ MR. BIRKBECKasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether the Joint Committee on Fishing Vessels' Lights have agreed to carry out the recommendations of the Select Committee of 1880 in their entirety, as regards trawlers carrying one white masthead light when trawling?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINSir, the Select Committee of 1880 reported as follows:—
Your Committee, therefore, recommend that Article 10 of the new Regulations should he revised so as to satisfy the fishermen's desire to he relieved from carrying coloured side-lights while at work, and to retain the use of the white light while engaged in fishing, and at the same time secure the use of a distinctive mark by drift-net fishing boats to distinguish them from trawling smacks.The Joint Departmental Committee were again directed to meet and consider this among other points. There were laid before them the Report of the Select Committee, and also a number of Reports which had been obtained in the meantime from representatives of the shipping interest and of the fishing interests and from Foreign Governments. Abstracts of these were laid before Parliament in 1882. The Departmental Committee were assisted by representatives of the shipping interest deputed for the purpose, and with their aid and concurrence recommended that trawlers should use a white light with a red light above it to distinguish it from a pilot light. The rules recommended by the Joint Committee are now under the consideration of Foreign Governments.