Major WHITEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture (1) whether, seeing that provision is made by the Sea Fisheries Regulation Act of 1888 for the adequate policing of the inshore sea fisheries, and that in many districts sufficient protection already exists, he will explain why the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries are applying to the Development Commissioners for a loan of £50,000 and an annual grant of £8,000 for the provision of vessels for patrolling those districts which have not taken advantage of 1136 the regulations of the Act of 1888, and particularly the first section of the same, which provides for combination of districts for this purpose? (2) Whether detailed information can be afforded as to the reasons which have led the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to apply to the Development Commissioners for a loan of £50,000 and an annual grant of £8,000 for the purpose of putting on vessels to patrol the inshore fisheries; and whether he is aware that the greater part of the inshore fisheries of England and Wales are already adequately patrolled by vessels provided for that purpose by the district fishery committees? and (3) why, in view of the fact that it has already been officially stated that the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries were about to report on fishery claims as a whole to the Development Commissioners, the Board have applied to the Commissioners for a large grant to be administered by the Board for purposes for which adequate statutory provision already exists; and why they have delayed reporting on claims sent in to them by the local authorities appointed for the protection of the inshore fisheries, and, in particular, why there has been such a long delay in reporting on the claim sent in by the Lancashire and Western Sea Fisheries Joint Committee to the Development Commisisoners in May, 1910, over thirteen months ago?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe Sea Fisheries Committee have for many years past complained of the arrangement embodied in the Act of 1888, by which the whole cost of policing the fisheries is thrown upon the maritime counties, and they have asked that grants should be made from the Exchequer to assist them in defraying the expenditure required for the purpose. It was to meet this demand, and at the same time to promote the development of the fisheries, that the Board made the application to which the hon. Member refers. The money, if granted, will be applied to all districts equally in proportion to the amounts locally contributed, including, of course, the Lancashire and Western Committee, whose efficiency and energy in the discharge of their statutory duties the Board fully appreciate. Two or more Committees would be grouped for the purpose, where necessary, and it is proposed that an additional grant should be made where the steamers are available for scientific research. The delay in reporting upon the individual applications made to the Treasury has arisen from the neces- 1137 sity of preparing a general scheme which would provide for equality of treatment as between the various districts.
Major WHITEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is prepared to state what are the grievances of inshore fishermen which have led the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to apply to the Development Commissioners for funds to appoint a special commission to inquire into such grievances; and whether the need for such a commission is due to the fact that nothing has been done to carry out the recommendations of the Committee on Ichthyological Research of 1902 and the Committee on Fishery Investigations of 1908?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYIt is not proposed to appoint a special commission of inquiry, but only to increase the staff of the Fishery Department by one or two temporary officers to assist in the preparation of proposals for the promotion of co-operation and other measures for the benefit of inshore fishermen.