§ 50. Mr. DREWEasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the distress among West Country fishermen owing to the scarcity of fish between Portland and the Isle of Scilly; and whether he will be prepared to hold an inquiry with a view to closing certain bays during the breeding season?
Lieut.-Colonel Sir A. LAMBERT WARD (Lord of the Treasury)My right hon. Friend is not aware of any abnormal shortage of fish in the region referred to where fluctuations in the supply would appear to be dependent more upon general than upon local conditions. He is not, therefore, prepared to adopt the suggestion made in the last part of the question.
§ Mr. DREWEIs it not a fact that certain of these bays have already been closed to trawling and that these Regulations are frequently broken?
§ Sir A. LAMBERT WARDThe hon. Member should put that question down.
§ Mr. CHARLES WILLIAMSWould not the best way be to keep away foreign trawlers a little more strictly?
§ 51. Mr. DREWEasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the cod-end of the trawl in the majority of foreign trawlers is so small that it is impossible for minute marine life to come through the net alive; and whether he will be prepared to make representations to the countries concerned with a view to the protection of our fishing grounds?
§ Sir A. LAMBERT WARDMy right hon. Friend is aware that many of the trawl nets in. use both at home and abroad take undersized fish. The matter is under investigation by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, on which body all the countries concerned are represented; and pending the result of the council's deliberations representations such as my hon. Friend suggests would be premature.
§ Mr. C. WILLIAMSWill the hon. and gallant Member see that British trawlers are not handicapped, as they are almost invariably, by foreign trawlers?
§ Sir A. LAMBERT WARDI will convey the hon. Member's observations to my right hon. Friend.
Viscountess ASTORDoes not the hon. and gallant Member think that by the time this international conference reports there will be no fish left in the sea?