§ Lord Mason of Barnsleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will give details of the numbers of Irish trawlers which have been engaged in illegal salmon fishing off the north and west coast of Scotland.
§ The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Lord Sanderson of Bowden)Various sources of information suggest that numerous vessels from the Republic of Ireland have been engaged in this illegal fishery but the very nature of the activity makes it difficult to provide any realistic estimate of the actual numbers involved.