§ MR. HEALYasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Would he have any objection to lay upon the Table Copies of Correspondence between his Department and the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries, or any other person, respecting the employment of gunboats or Government vessels for the protection of salmon fisheries in Ireland; and, have any such vessels been ever so employed in England or Scotland; and, if not, why have certain Irish salmon proprietors been specially favoured by the State in defending their alleged rights.
MR. CAMPBELL - BANNEEMANIt is the case that vessels of the Royal Navy have been employed in former years in protecting salmon fisheries both in Scotland and in Ireland. Recently, however, it has been the policy of the Board of Admiralty to confine the services of the Navy to the protection of sea fisheries, and to allow the duty of protecting fisheries in inland waters to be discharged by the Conservators of the respective fishery districts. At present no vessel of the Navy is employed on this service. I regret that as the Correspondence to which the hon. Member refers is confidential it cannot be produced.
§ MR. HEALYasked if the hon. Gentleman could give them his assurance that no gunboat, or any other Government boat, would be lent to private proprietors to protect salmon?
§ MR. CAMPBELL - BANNERMANsaid, he thought he had given in his answer sufficient indication of the policy and desire of the Board of Admiralty.