THE DUKE OF ARGYLLpresented a Petition of Proprietors of Land, &c, and Fishermen of Lochfine, praying for partial Repeal of the British White Herring Fishery Act. The noble Duke said, that although the matter was one of local interest, it was of considerable importance. Some years ago an Act was passed to regulate Scotch fisheries, and among other things, to prevent trawling herrings. Herrings had been ordinarily caught by the gills in the meshes of drift nets attached to boats. About twenty years ago the inhabitants of Stonefield discovered that trawling was being extensively practised, and they complained of its interference with their sea fishing; the Scotch Fishery 1589 Board found it necessary to interfere, and trawling was prohibited; and since then two Royal Commissions had inquired into the subject generally. Both Commissions had reported against the continuance of the prohibition of trawling, and in favour of a return to the former state of the law, under which trawling was at least not illegal. He did not agree with the recommendation of the Commissioners, as trawling could hardly be carried on in conjunction with the usual mode of fishing. The herring net was used as a sea net. The trawling net dragged along the sea bottom, caught all fish that came in its way, and if trawling were to be permitted it would be perfectly useless to attempt to protect salmon. Alarmed at the Report of the Commission recommending the repeal of the statute by which trawling was prohibited, the petitioners prayed that the prohibition might be continued within certain arms of the sea.
§ Petition read, and ordered to lie on the Table.