§ MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether the Fishery Board for Scotland has received a copy of a resolution which was carried unanimously at a recent meeting of the Ross and Cromarty County Council, calling upon Her Majesty's Government to take steps to prevent trawlers destroying fishing banks and immature fish within the 13 mile limit; and further, that fishing banks situated in firths or inlets of the sea be at once closed to trawlers, as otherwise a large fishing population, who are entirely dependent on line fishing for their existence, will be deprived of the means of gaining a living; and will he state what action the Fishery Board have taken in the matter?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY,) ButeshireThe Resolution referred to was, I am informed by 1444 the Fishery Board, submitted at their meeting of 25th November last, when the Board directed that the county clerk of Ross and Cromarty should be informed that the prohibition of trawling within 13 miles of the coast involved a question of international law, regarding which the Board could take no action.