§ 30. Mr. DUNCAN MILLARasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign 2069 Affairs whether any steps have been taken to consult the States signatories of the North Sea Convention, 1882, as to the extension of the fishery limits agreed on in Article 2 of the Convention, with a view to the exclusion of foreign trawlers from the Moray Firth and other areas within which trawling is prohibited under the bye-laws of the Fishery Board for Scotland; and, if not, whether he is prepared to take any action in the matter?
§ Mr. McNEILLThe answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. MILLARIs it not possible to take effective action against foreign trawlers trawling in the prohibited areas when British trawlers are subject to prosecution?
§ Mr. McNEILLI am not unaware of the many difficulties in this matter, which has been a burning question for many years; but I am not in a position to give any further answer than the one I have given.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONCan this case be reconsidered again—
§ Mr. McNEILLWhich case?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe case of the Moray Firth?
§ Mr. McNEILLI cannot give a promise to that effect, because I do not think the Moray Firth case will be taken out of the general number.
§ Mr. McNEILLI should not like to give a definite answer.
§ Mr. A. M. SAMUELIs not the real solution of this question a revision of what is called the three-mile limit.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the three-mile limit does not apply to the Moray Firth, and will he, therefore, have the case of the Moray Firth reconsidered?
§ Mr. McNEILLAs I have said, I cannot really give a pledge to that effect. I do not think my right hon. Friend is quite correct in saying that the three-mile limit does not apply to the Moray Firth.
§ 31. Mr. MILLARfurther asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can state the territorial sea-limits claimed by Norway and Sweden within which trawling by foreign vessels is prohibited; and the number of cases during the past year in which action by prosecution or otherwise has been taken against British trawlers fishing within the limits claimed by those States?
§ Mr. McNEILLThe Governments of Norway and Sweden each claim that their territorial waters extend to four miles for fishery purposes; as regards the second part of the question, I am only aware of five cases in Norway.
§ Mr. MILLARWill the hon. Gentleman say what steps were taken against the foreign trawlers? Was it by prosecution?
§ Mr. McNEILLI cannot say offhand. If the hon. Gentleman will put down another question, I will give that information.