§ MR. SEYMOUR KEAY (Elgin and Nairn)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the Report of the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries dated 20th April, 1893, whether Her Majesty's Government propose to establish a close season for herrings off the South-West coast of Ireland, as necessary for the protection of the mackerel fishery, from the 1st of April to the 16th of May in each year; whether he has observed that a great mass of evidence was tendered to show that the herring fishing carried on off that coast by Scottish fishermen is not at all injurious to the mackerel and hake which are fished for there during the same period by Irish fishermen; whether he is aware that the proposed close time would so shorten the season for herring fishing as practically to exclude Scottish fishermen from the Irish waters; and whether Her Majesty's Government will institute fuller and independent inquiries before taking any steps to bring into force the close season Order which is recommended in the Report above mentioned?
MR. J. MORLEYThe recommendation made by the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries in their Report of the 20th of April, 1893, to the effect stated in the first paragraph of the question, can only be carried out by legislation. It is true that a large mass of evidence was given of the nature indicated in the second paragraph, but it is also the fact that a considerable amount of evidence in conflict with this evidence was adduced— amongst others by Scotchmen at Camp beltown. This rebutting evidence supported the contention of the Irish fishermen. The Inspectors carefully weighed the entire evidence, and having regard to the importance of the mackerel fishing, came to the conclusion that the views of the Irish, Manx, Lowestoft, and Camp beltown fishermen were, in the main, correct. With regard to the third paragraph, legislation in the direction referred to would, no doubt, shorten the time during which Scotchmen could fish, but by only four days, as by mutual arrangement the herring fishery has not commenced in recent years before the 12th of May.