20 



MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE 



S March 1904.] 



Mr. Alexander Millikin. 



[Continued. 



Cha i rma n — continued. 



271. Then is it difficult to compare the 

 statistics ot to-day with the statistics of former 

 years on. account ot the difference in the area 

 over which th o trawhng operations extend ? — I 

 should think i t would be. 



272. But you can hand in some returns, I 

 suppose ? — Mr. Ingram can. 



Marcjuess of Huntly. 



273. "Who is Mr. Ingram ? — Fisherj^ othcer of 

 the Aberdeen district. 



Chairman. 



274. Is the opinion entertained in Aberdeen 

 that the supply of flat fish is not as good as it 

 was in ye.irs past ? — It is equally as good ; the 

 quantity landed is still equal or even increased. 



27.5. But the quantity is not landed from the 

 same area that it was in time past ? — No, there 

 is a large increase in the number of fishing 

 vessels also. 



276. And in the area chat they cover, I 

 presume ? — It is widened. 



277. Can you tell us at all what number of 

 undersized fish were landed in Aberdeen ? — 

 About 20 tons would cover the whole thing in 

 the course of a year. 



278. And where do the Aberdeen trawlers go 

 to mostly ? — All over the North Sea, Iceland and 

 the Faroes. 



279. Do they go to what is known as the 

 Xorth Sea Fishery between the Texel Beef and 

 the Horn Reef ?— Yes. 



280. Have you read the Bill ?— Yes. 



281. You observe that the prohibition is not 

 against sale but against the landing of the fish. 

 Do you think that could be carried out at 

 Aberdeen ? — It would be a more difficult matter 

 than to prevent the sale. 



282. Why vrould it be more difficult ?— If the 

 BUI is to prevent the landing you must search 

 the vessels to see that there is no small fish 

 amongst the catches. 



283. But is it necessary to search the vessel ? 

 Would it not be sufficient to search the boxes 

 landed from the vessel ? — Then they are landed ; 

 that is not preventing the landing. 



284. But it is not a question absolutely of 

 preventing the landing, is it ; it is the inflicting 

 a penalty m the event of landing ? — Quite so. 



285. That would not be difficult in your 

 opinion, would it ? — It would entail considerable 

 difficulty m such a large market if the law 

 is to be carried out. 



286. Perhi'ips you would explain the natiu-e of 

 those difficulties ? — There would be no difficultv 

 in the meantime to detect small fish; but if 

 fishermen knew that there was a fine of 51, or 

 whatever you may fix, in front of them, they 

 would naturally conceal those fish. In the 

 meantime there is no concealment. 



2S7. H'.iw can you conceal a box of fish that 

 i.^ landed ? — They would mix them up with 

 larger fish. 



288. Do you kno^\- Billing.sgate ? — Yes. 



289. Thev are landed in boxes there. Is 

 there anything to prevent the Custom House 



Chairman — continued. 



officers, or any other official who may be ap- 

 pointed for the purpose, from examining a pro- 

 portion of these boxes, if not the whole ? — There 

 is nothing to prevent them. 



290. Then if he does that, would he not 

 detect the landing of undersized flat fish ? — Yes ; 

 but it is the extent of the work — -perhaps there 

 are 2,000 or 3,000 boxes to esamme at Aber- 

 deen. 



Duke of Abercom. 



291. A day ? — Yes, a day. 



Chairman. 



292. Do you think that is more or less than 

 is landed at Billingsgate in a day ? — I have no 

 idea of the amount landed in a day at Billings- 

 gate. 



293. If you were told that the number ot 

 boxes landed at Billingsgate was considerably 

 more than the number of boxes landed at 

 Aberdeen, and that no difficulty was experienced 

 in ascertaining what was the contents of the 

 boxes in Billingsgate, would that modify your 

 opinion at aU as to the possibility of carrying 

 out a similar examination in Aberdeen ? — 1 

 would require to know what was the object of 

 the examination at Aberdeen. 



294. For undersized fish, of course ? — I cannot 

 see that a single officer could do it effec- 

 tively. 



295. Possibly not, but that is only a question 

 of the requisite number for carrjdng out the 

 work ? — Exactly ; it would require a large 

 number. 



296. You are aware, of course, that when these 

 boxes are sold — and they are sold with very 

 great rapidity — the intending purchaser examines 

 m a rough and cursory way, but he examines 

 the contents of each box before he bids for it ? 

 —Yes. 



297. Then is there any greater difficulty on 

 the part of the Custom House office in making 

 a similar examination ? — He would have to 

 make a more minute examination. 



298. Is there any appreciable sale of small 

 fish in Scotland ? — I have already stated that 

 about 20 tons is about the quantity landed every 

 year in Aberdeen. 



299. AU sold for food ?— Yes. 



300. None for manure ? — Occasionally, when 

 they cannot get any value for them, they have 

 to dispose of them for manure. 



301. Have you any knowledge of the extent of 

 the market for undersized fish in other countries 

 besides England ? — I have seen fish sold in 

 Germany, small fish ; you find them mostly in a 

 great many shop windows, smoked and prepared, 

 or cured. 



302. Is there anything like the quantity that 

 is sold in England ? — I should say as many. 



308. You think there are as many undersized 

 fish sold on the Continent as there are in 

 think there is a greater demand 

 the Continent than there is ' 



-1 



on 



m 



England ? 

 for them 

 England even. 



304. What part of the Continent ? — Germany. 



305, ifThAt 



