§ MR. THOMAS B. CURRAN (Donegal, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) whether his attention has been called to the complaints of the fishermen in 1032 Lough Foyle as to the injury done by the dredge-boat of the Derry Port and Harbour Board to the oyster-beds in the Lough by depositing mud inside the Lough; (2) whether the Fishery Board, acting on a memorial of the fishermen, recently held an Inquiry into the matter, at which it was proved that one valuable oyster-bed had been entirely destroyed and another partially so in the manner mentioned, and also that the mud could be deposited outside the Lough at comparitively slight extra expense; (3) what the result of the Inquiry was, and, (4) whether, failing action by the Fishery Board, any action will be taken by the Government to save this valuable local industry from destruction?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe facts are generally as stated in the first and second paragraph, except that in regard to the discharge of mud it was proved at the Inquiry, on behalf of the Derry Port and Harbour Commissioners, that their system was adopted on the advice of eminent engineers who had specially considered this question. Were the dredger to discharge the mud at the next available point the additional time occupied by her voyages would be so great as to necessitate the purchase of a second dredger at a cost of £20,000. Under these circumstances, and having regard to the smallness of the oyster fishing industry affected, the value of which is less than £100 a year, the inspectors of fisheries declined to interfere with the navigation of this important port.