§ Mr. CLOUGHasked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he can say of whom the Board of Conservators for the fishery district of the River Coquet consists, and by whom they are appointed; when was this Board first constituted, and by whom; over what waters has the Board jurisdiction; how many kinds of licences does the Board issue, and what charge is made for each kind; what is the annual income and expenditure of the Board; and what are the Board's responsibilities with regard to watching and stocking the waters over which its privileges extend?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYThe Coquet Fishery District was formed by a certificate of the Secretary of State dated 18th January, 1866, and was enlarged by a like certificate dated 22nd December, 1869. It comprises so much of the River Coquet and its tributaries as lies within the county of Northumberland and all rivers between a point two miles north of Coquet mouth and a point seven miles south of it, together with the sea-shore and territorial sea between Howick Burn Mouth and New biggin Church Point. The Board consists of 19 members appointed annually by the County Council of Northumberland, with the addition of a varying number of representative and ex-officio members qualified either as elected representatives of licensees or as owners or occupiers of fisheries. Licences are issued in respect of fishing for salmon, trout, or char. The licence scale contains 15376W items, varying from £12 for a fishing weir, £4 for a draft net, to 2s. 6d. for a trout rod. The income in 1908 was £471 5s. ld., and the expenditure £524 3s. The discretionary powers of the Board with regard to watching and stocking are laid down in section 27 of the Salmon Fishery Act, 1865.