THE MARQUESS OF HUNTLYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland a Question if which he had given him private notice, namely, whether the reports in the Scottish newspapers that Danish trawlers had been fishing in Moray Firth for three weeks past, and that they had been seen and permitted to continue fishing by Her Majesty's ship Jackal were correct, and that they were landing their fish for sale at British ports?
THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (LORD BALFOUR)In reply to the noble Marquess, I have to state that at the end of last month the Fishery Board did receive a Report from the Commander of Her Majesty's ship Jackal, to the effect that the Danish trawler Dania had been discovered seven miles east-north-cast of Tarbett Ness, with her port trawl down in the water. In consequence of that Report and of other similar reports, which, however, were not quite so definite, I have given instructions to the Fishery Board for Scotland to prevent, under the powers of Section 8 of the Herring Fisheries (Scotland) Act of 1889, the landing or sale in Scotland of fish from the Dania caught within the area prohibited by the bye-laws. We have not had reports of any other trawler except the Dania. The noble Marquess's Question deals with British ports, but, of course, he is aware that I have no jurisdiction over, and no power myself to obtain information from, any port which is not a Scottish port.
THE MARQUESS OF HUNTLYI am informed the Dania is landing her fish at 146 the port of Hull, so as to evade the jurisdiction the noble Lord exercises. Can the noble Lord do nothing in that case?