§ 22. Mr. LOFTUSasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that in one year recently the Dutch cutters operating for the fish-meal factories of Holland caught about 350,000,000 undersized one- and two-year-old plaice and that the German shrimpers in one year recently caught 65,000,000 undersized one-and two-year-old plaice; and whether, in view of the present shortage of fish in the North Sea, he will take steps to endeavour to obtain international agreement to stop this destruction of immature 793 prime fish which is so detrimental to the interests of fishermen of all countries bordering on the North Sea?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am aware of the facts stated in the first part of the question. I fully appreciate the importance of international agreement to measures to prevent the destruction of undersized fish, and steps to that end are being taken by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, who at their annual meeting in 1934 recommended participating governments to adopt regulations not less drastic than those already in force in this country. One country has already put this recommendation into effect, and I understand that other countries, including Holland and Germany, have the question seriously under consideration.