24. Mr. BARRIEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the public demonstrations which have recently taken place in certain towns on the Moray Firth against the continued practice of trawling by Admiralty vessels in the Moray Firth; and if he will give instructions that the practice be immediately put a stop to?
§ Dr. MACNAMARADuring December and January last, general complaints that Admiralty vessels were trawling in the Moray Firth were received from local fishermen by the Admiralty and Scottish authorities. No details or particulars, which would help to trace the offenders, were furnished, and from reports obtained from the local naval authorities, it seems probable that they were private trawlers and not vessels in Admiralty service.
However, early in February orders were issued by the Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth, forbidding trawling in the Firth, and since then no complaints have been received by either the Admiralty or the Scottish authorities.