§ SIR EDWARD BIRKBECK (Norfolk, E.)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether, taking into consideration the fact that continued and serious depredations by Foreign trawlers on English drift-net fishing vessels have taken place off the East Coast of England every year from September to 1630 Christmas, the losses resulting therefrom amounting to many thousands of pounds, and affecting both owners and fishermen, and that the provisions of the North Sea Fisheries Convention cannot be enforced without a fisherman-pilot being placed on board each of the four Cruisers appointed to protect the fisheries in question, he will agree to give the necessary instructions to engage a fisherman for each of the four Cruisers as an experiment, on the first intimation of depredations being committed, and that the expenses be paid by the Admiralty?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)My hon. Friend has, during the past few years, taken a very leading position in endeavouring to protect the fishermen of the East Coast from depredations committed upon them by the foreign trawlers, and any strong opinion which he may express as to the means most likely to secure that end is entitled to careful consideration. As he knows, last year I endeavoured to improve and extend the protection to which these fishermen were entitled, and the result, I believe, was that last year there were more convictions under the provisions of the North Sea Fisheries Convention than in any previous year. The Hearty, a powerful vessel well adapted for this service, is now being fitted out, and will shortly be on the East Coast and on this duty. As regards the suggestion that a fisherman-pilot should be placed on board each of the cruisers, there is an obvious objection to a fisherman-pilot forming part of the complement of such cruisers; but I am quite willing to try the experiment for a month, and will give directions that such pilots should be on board each of the cruisers. I shall thus be able to ascertain whether their presence and local knowledge is of such advantage to the officers in command as to justify a continuation of the arrangement.