§ MR. MORTONI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the prohibition of the establishment of whale-fishing stations in county Donegal in consequence of the evidence as to its disastrous effects upon other fisheries in Norway and in Shetland given at the recent inquiry by the Irish fishery inspectors in Londonderry, the Government will for the same reason prohibit the establishment of any whale-fishing station on any part of the coasts of Ireland.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR IRELAND (Mr. T. W. RUSSELL,) Tyrone, S.As my hon. friend is aware, a proposal was recently made to establish a whale-fishing station oft' the coast of Donegal, in the immediate neighbourhood of an extensive fishing industry. After holding an inquiry, the Department issued a bye law prohibiting the station being established. But there are parts of the Irish coast whore no fishing industry exists, and I think the proper method of dealing with the matter is by legislation, under which the Department will be enabled to license the industry where it can be carried on without injury, and to exercise a veto where the circumstances appear to demand it.
§ MR. MORTONDo I understand the hon. Gentleman to say it cannot be done without legislation?
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLI do not think it can.
§ MR. CATHCART WASON (Orkney and Shetland)Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the whaling industry is calculated to injure the whole fishing industry, not merely in the particular locality of the station, but 200 or 300 miles off.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLI am acting on the advice of experts in this matter.