§ Mr. WEIRasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state what Crown salmon fishings on the coast of the Moray Firth the Commissioner of Woods and Forests, Sir Stafford Howard, has consented to let to the Moray Firth Salmon Fishing Company, who propose to remove the salmon nets so that more salmon may be allowed to get up the rivers; and, seeing that this will prejudicially affect the interests of existing lessees and throw a number of persons out of employment, will the proposal be reconsidered, and the practice of advertising the leases of salmon fishings as they fall in continued?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSESir Stafford Howard has agreed to let to the company, from Martinmas next, when they will fall out of lease, the following salmon fishings in the Moray Firth:—Cairnlaw, Meikle Suddy, Flowerburn, Easter and Wester Teaninich, Shandwick, Balintore, Geanies, Seafield, and Rockfield. The company is being formed by the owners of salmon fishings in the district in consequence of the marked decrease of fish on the coast, in the rivers and on the spawning-beds. The object in view is to increase the stock of fish by reducing the netting. This has been done successfully in other districts. It is believed that in the long run the measures proposed will make it possible to employ more hands than could be employed if the present decrease of fish were allowed to go on unchecked.