COLONEL NOLANasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he can ascertain, through the Constabulary or otherwise, if the great majority of the fishermen and the inhabitants residing near Galway Bay would desire that trawling should be prohibited in the whole or part of the Bay, as it was formerly in Galway Bay and now is in Dublin Bay; if his attention has been called to the Report of Lord Dalhousie's Trawling Commission of last year, and if he is aware that this Report in general terms coincides with the views of the Galway fishermen, that trawling may be often hurtful in bays to other kinds of fishing; and, if he will endeavour to give effect to the wishes of a great majority of the fishermen, if their opinions are found to agree with the latest and best scientific evidence procurable?
§ SIR WILLIAM HART DYKE (who replied) saidI have no doubt the fact is as stated in the first paragraph of this Question. From a Report which I have received from the Inspectors of Fisheries, I gather that in the course which they adopted, after due inquiry with regard to trawling in Galway Bay, there is nothing inconsistent with the views of the Trawling Commission of last year, as expressed in their Report. The duty of determining such matters is imposed by an Act of Parliament on the Inspectors of Fisheries.