§ Mr. DOUGLAS HALLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he was aware that discontent prevailed among the fishermen resident in the Isle of Wight at the regulations which prevailed in the island with regard to the catching of lobsters on the coast of that island and their sale; whether he was aware that by these regulations a fisherman was liable to be fined £5 for catching and offering for sale a lobster nine inches or less in length, whereas fishermen in the neighbourhood of Selsea, just opposite the island, and 175 who competed with the Isle of Wight fishermen, were allowed by the regulations which existed there to catch lobsters to a minimum length of eight inches; and whether his Department would take steps to make uniform regulations regarding the taking of lobsters for the Isle of Wight and the neighbouring coast?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD Of AGRICULTURE (Sir Edward Strachey)The regulations for the protection of lobsters have received considerable attention from the Board. I will send the Report of last year's Meeting of Sea Fisheries Authorities to the hon. Member. The Board hope in the future to secure greater uniformity. The discrepancy in the regulations for the Isle of Wight and Selsea is due to the fact that they are made by separate Sea Fishery Committees.