236 DEN MODERNE HVALFANGST 



4. That a belief is strong and universal among fishermen 

 and curers, is unanimously maintained by the County Council 

 of Zetland, is general among the whole population of Shetland, 

 and is furthermore concurred in by curers and owners of drifters, 

 visiting these areas from Scotland and England, that the intro- 

 duction of whaling and the decline of the herring fishing on the 

 west, north and north-east of Shetland are directly related as 

 cause and effect. 



5. That this general and unquestioned belief is in itself a 

 deterrent influence upon the herring fishing and is enough to 

 prevent the revival of the western and northern stations or the 

 resort of fishermen to waters frequented by the whalers. 



6. That there is a vast disparity between the magnitude and 

 importance to the Shetlands of the two industries — the one consti- 

 tuting the real wealth and being essential to the prosperity of 

 Shetland, and the other small, new, and alien to the Islands. 



7. That all the leases of the whaling stations in Shetland 

 expire not later than Whitsunday 1923, and that of the station 

 in Harris in 1927. 



8. That the case of the whaling companies that the failure 

 of the herring industry in the areas in question is wholly due to 

 economic causes and to the concentration of the herring fishing 

 industry at Lerwick is not proved. 



9. That no specific complaint was proved or even made of 

 any detrimental effect on the herring fishing arising from the 

 operations of the whalers from Bunaveneader in Harris, and that 

 no evidence of local feeling in the Hebrides against the whaling 

 industry was adduced. 



The Committee recommend: 



1. That, having regard to the practically unanimous belief 

 of the fishing industry and the inhabitans of Shetland generally, 

 concurred in by the fishing and curing interests of both Scotland 

 and England, as to the injudious ef feets of whaling operations, 

 such operations from stations in Shetland should now be prohi- 

 bited. 



2. That the Whale Fisheries act, 1907, should be amended 

 so as to prohibit whaling operations being carried on from any 

 part of Shetland.» 



