§ Mr. PIRIEasked the Lord Advocate if his attention has been called to the fact of an increase of trawling by foreign trawlers in the Moray Firth since the passing of the Prevention of Trawling Bill; if he is aware of the wreck of the Belgian trawler "Mie," of Ostend, whilst engaged in trawling off Banff, when her crew was rescued by the German trawler "Senator Bault," of Hamburg, which was also fishing; and, in view of the building and fitting up of fresh trawlers to fish the Moray Firth from Ostend, if the Government are alive to the situation, and propose taking any steps to discontinue the preservation of fish for the special benefit of the foreigner?
§ The LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. Ure)My attention has been called, not to an increase but to a large decrease in trawling in the Moray Firth since the date named. I am aware of the wreck referred to but have no information as to whether the vessel wrecked was engaged in trawling; the rescuing vessel, I understand, was not trawling but was sheltering from a storm. I am not aware that fresh trawlers for the Moray Firth are building or fitting out at Ostend.
§ Mr. PIRIEMay I ask if the decrease, which I do not admit, is a decrease of foreign trawlers or a decrease of British and foreign combined, or an increase in foreign trawling?