§ Mr. Grovesasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in order to augment the nation's food supply, he will authorise, through the various sea fisheries committees, the relaxation of the inshore fishing restrictions and permit the public to use private fisheries, retaining the restrictions against taking undersized fish?
Mr. HudsonThe principal restrictions imposed by local by-laws on the use of trawl and seine nets in inshore waters have already been lifted, except in the case of the largest types of fishing vessels. I doubt whether any more general relaxation of restrictions would produce beneficial results, but I am at present in consultation with the Sea Fisheries Committees as to the effect of the existing relaxation. There are very few private 1687W fisheries in tidal waters, apart from shell fisheries, and I do not think that there is any necessity to take special steps to throw open these fisheries to the public.