FISHING DISASTER

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 119, 15 November 1929, Page 11

FISHING DISASTER

HERRING BOATS HARD HIT

QUESTION IN COMMONS

LONDON, 13th November. / The newsithat part-of the Scottish herring fleet is limping home from the East Anglian fishing grounds with lives lost, nets destroyed, and craft battered came upon the House of Commons with dramatic suddenness. The House was in the middle of the usual jesting hurly-burly of question time, when it was silenced and awed by the Secretary for Scotland, Mr. Adamson's, revelation of one of the worst'fishing disasters for many years. Mr. Miller asked if the Government could do something to help the men to replace their gear. \

Mr. Adamson said that he was continuing his inquiries, and could not add anything at the present moment. Mr. Albery expressed the House's sympathy when he suggested, in view of the magnitude of the disaster, that the Lord Mayor of London ought to be approached to open a fund for the relief of the fishermen's distress.

"These are the worst losses ever known in East Anglia," said a Yarmouth fish salesman. Many of the Scottish fishers are going home ruined. Nearly every one of the 690 Scottish herring boats lost all its nets, which were' practically uninsured. Scotsmen usually work on a system of 9 or 10 of a crew, sharing in ownership. The nets and gear loss amounted to £100 each. A group of Scottish never fish on Sundays, and are bound to go out on Monday. The Yarmouth men escaped because they fished on Sunday. .

A further loss of life is reported from the Huli fleet, a trawler losing three overboard. The captain was washed back, - but the others were not seen. The disaster is causing a fish shortage.