Mr. CATHCART WASONasked the President of the Board of Agriculture the total amount expended by the International Council on North Sea fishery investigations and the amount contributed 805W by each country; if he will state whether any international agreement has been arrived at or ever discussed by the said council; if he will state what object there is in having England and Scotland working under separate conditions, and why Ireland is not. also represented; if he will press on the council the necessity of making exhaustive inquiry on the question of trawling in inshore waters, the failure of the herring fishing on the West Coast of Shetland consequent on the destruction of whales; and whether trawling for herrings does or does not destroy vast quantities of immature fish?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe expenditure of the council for the financial year 1911–12, was approximately £4,000. The participating counties make the following contributions to the funds of the council: Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Norway, and Sweden, £260 each; Germany and Great Britain, £l,235 each; Russia with Finland, £l,495. The United States of America, which were represented on the council for the first time this year, will contribute at the same rate as Germany and Great Britain. The work of the council is directed to the acquisition of scientific information with a view to the adoption of practical measures for the protection and development of the fisheries. Much useful information has been acquired as to the plaice fisheries of the North Sea, and the question of the protection of these fisheries by international regulation is now under consideration. Similar investigations are in progress with regard to cod, haddock, and herring, including the effect of trawling upon the herring fisheries. An international arrangement has also been reached for the protection of the fisheries in certain waters against the depredations of seals. The constitution of the council admits of the appointment of two delegates only from each country, but in recent-years the two British delegates have been accompanied by a representative of Ireland in the capacity of an expert. The arrangement by which the investigations undertaken by Great Britain are distributed between the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Scottish Fishery Board was adopted in view of the geographical position of the two countries and the facilities for investigation at the disposal of the two Departments. I do not think that it would be desirable to ask the council to enlarge their programme at the present time, but I will keep the suggestion of my hon. Friend in view.