§ Mr. HARMSWORTHasked the Lord Advocate if he has any statistics at his disposal showing the number of trawlers who more or less habitually fished in the Moray Firth during the two years previous to the passing of the Trawling in Prohibited Areas Prevention Act, 1909, and also since the Act was passed?
§ Mr. UREIt is difficult to define what is meant by more or less habitual fishing. I may say, however, that in the two years previous to the coming into operation of the Trawling in Prohibited Areas Prevention 449W Act, 1909, thirty-three different foreign trawlers were observed at work each on four or more occasions during one or other of the years. Since the Act came into operation, twenty different foreign trawlers have been observed at work on four or more occasions.
§ Mr. ESSLEMONTasked the Lord Advocate whether he can state the number of British and foreign vessels, respectively, which were observed trawling in the Moray Firth for twelve months prior and subsequent to 1st November, 1909?
§ Mr. UREThe figures desired by my hon. Friend are as follows, substituting450W for the 1st November, 1909, the 20th October, 1909, being the date when the Trawling in Prohibited Areas Prevention Act, 1909, came into operation:—
October 20th, 1908 to October 20th, 1909. October 20th, 1909 to October 20th, 1910. British 1 3 Foreign 46 37 47 40