§ MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)To ask the Secretary for Scotland, if he will state how many prosecutions for illegal trawling were instituted during the year ending 31st December, 1907, on information given by the commander of each Fishery Board cruiser, indicating the cases in which penalties were imposed and the cases in which the offenders elected to go to prison.
(Answered by Mr. Sinclair.) Prosecutions followed upon reports of contraventions by commanders of fishery cruisers as follows:—
Cruisers. Foreign Trawlers. British Trawlers. "Brenda" 17 1 "Freya" 64 3 "Minna" 3 1 "Vigilant" 4 0 H.M.S. "Ringdove" 35 0 123 5
§ giving a total of 128 contraventions reported. In respect of 101 of these contraventions convictions were obtained with the following further results, viz.—For twenty-seven contraventions the offenders went to prison. For forty-two the offenders paid fines. For twenty-one the offenders went to prison for part of the time, but were released on payment of part of fine. For three the offenders were 920 admonished. For three sentence not enforced. For five two parties were convicted; one went to prison, the other paid fine. Total 101 contraventions for which convictions obtained.