§ CAPTAIN PIRIE (Aberdeen, N.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Danish trawler Dania has been constantly fishing for the last few weeks in the Moray Firth, and that the Secretary for Scotland has given instructions to prevent the landing or sale in Scotland of the fish caught by this vessel within the area prohibited by the Scotch Fishery bye-laws; and (2) whether the Board of Trade will issue instructions to prevent the fish so caught from being landed or sold in English ports, and thus effectively avoid the evasion of the Scotch Fishery bye-laws and the consequent serious injury to British fishing interests?
§ MR. RITCHIEI have no information as to the circumstances referred to in the first part of the Question. I have no power to prevent the landing or sale in English ports of the fish which the Dania may have taken.
§ CAPTAIN PIRIEWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether any steps can be taken to stop foreign trawlers fishing in these waters to the detriment of British industries?
§ MR. RITCHIEThe Lord Advocate answered yesterday, in reply to the hon. Gentleman, that, so far as he was concerned he had no power to stop the sale of the fish in Scottish ports, and I have no power in the case of the English ports.
§ CAPTAIN PIRIEThe Lord Advocate did not answer me yesterday. He attempted to answer three Questions in one reply, but he did not succeed. I will call attention to this matter again.