§ Mr. H. STEWARTasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if any scientific inquiry has recently been made into the question of whether ring-net fishing is destructive of immature fish: and, if not, whether he will cause such an inquiry to be made at the earliest moment?
§ Sir G. COLLINSThe question of the effect of ring-net fishing on the stock of herring has been investigated in the past by two Royal Commissions, a special commission on herring fishing generally and two committees of the Fishery Board. None of these bodies found this method to be so detrimental, or so destructive of immature fish as to require special measures of restriction, The Fishery Board's scientific staff are constantly watching the effect of the various methods of fishing on the stock of fish. In the circumstances, I think that a special inquiry of the kind suggested is unnecessary.