§ MR. WEIR (ROSS and Cromarty)To ask the Secretary for Scotland in view of the fact that, in reply to a memorial from the people of Ness representing a population of 4,000, a letter was sent from the Scottish Office, under date 4th June last, deprecating the view that the Lewis fisheries had been ruined by trawlers, and stating that the Lewis fisheries were better last year than they had been for some years, is he aware that the figures which he quoted for 1904–7 largely represent herrings caught by English and Scottish steam drifters, whereas statistics concerning the line-fishing industry, on which the fishermen of Lewis mainly depend, show that the weight of line-caught fish landed in the island fell from 126,024 cwts. in 1893 to 76,011 cwts. in 1904, and 69,833 cwts. in 1907; and, in view of this evidence in support of the contention of the memorialists, will he endeavour to meet their grievances.
(Answered by Mr. Sinclair). In the information referred to the herrings, 812 whether caught by English or Scottish drifters, were taken in Lewis waters and landed in Lewis. Since 1898, the date from which full statistics are available, the average catch per boat actually engaged in line fishing has remained practically the same, while the value of such catch per boat has gone up from £38 in 1898 to £55 in 1907. Within the same period the number of boats actually engaged in line fishing in Lewis has decreased from 666 to 451. The latter fact much more than accounts for any apparent diminution in the catch.