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Illegal Trawling, North Of Scotland

Volume 159: debated on Friday 15 December 1922

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asked the First Commissioner of Works, as representing the Secretary for Scotland, whether his attention has been called to the existence of illegal trawling on the east and west coasts of the North of Scotland; is he aware that this unfair inroad into the working sphere of the fishing community there is strongly resented, and is particularly obnoxious when, as is now the case, the inroad takes place on Sundays; and will he at once take steps to stop this injustice, by providing a cruiser the special duty of which it would be to police the coast from Cape Wrath to Adnamurchan, and by providing another for the corresponding line on the cast coast?

The replies to the I first and second parts of the question are in the affirmative. The patrols of the fishery cruisers are arranged with a view to meeting the requirements of all districts in the best manner practicable, and the particular arrangement suggested in the last part of the right hon. Member's question could not be adopted consistently with the requirements of other districts. The Fishery Board will, however, direct special attention to the policing of parts of the coast where illegal trawling is prevalent.