§ MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the resolution which was carried at Christiania in 1901 to the effect that no trawlers should be allowed to operate in areas, such as the Moray Firth, which have been closed for scientific purposes; and will he consider the expediency of communicating with the Foreign Powers concerned, with a view to the Moray Firth, which is already closed against British trawlers, being also closed against foreign trawlers.
The following Questions on the same subject also appeared on the Paper:—
§ MR. BLACK (Banffshire)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he proposes to take diplomatic action in the direction indicated by the Reports of the Delegates from Great Britain to the International Council on Sea Fisheries in 1901 and 1902, for the purposes of protecting form foreign trawlers areas in British territorial waters, such as the Moray Firth, reserved for purposes of scientific experiment in the interest of fisheries.
§ LORD CRANBORNEI propose to answer both Questions together. I am quite aware that a resolution to the effect stated was passed at the Fishery Conference in question, but I fear that the time has not yet arrived when a proposal of the kind would meet with such general acceptance as would effectively exclude all trawlers, whatever flag they might fly, from visiting the Moray Firth. The Secretary of State is, however, now considering certain suggestions which may lead to a practical solution of the difficulties which form the chief subject of complaint.