Mr. LEICESTER HARMSWORTHalso asked the Secretary for Scotland if his attention has been drawn to the number of cases of illegal trawling which have occurred off the coasts of Caithness recently; and whether, in order to lessen the number of these offences, he will give instructions that a fishery cruiser be more frequently sent to this region?
Mr. McKINNON WOODDuring the past three months very few well-founded complaints of illegal trawling on the Caithness coasts have been received by the Fishery Board for Scotland. In accordance with instructions issued by the Board the cruisers have paid special attention to the district, and without neglecting other parts of the coasts, the Caithness waters cannot be more frequently patrolled than they have been recently. Two detections of illegal trawling on the north coast of Caithness were made in December by one of the cruisers, and convictions have followed.