HC Deb 20 May 1897 vol 49 cc920-1
Mr. P. C. DOOGAN (Tyrone, E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that distress and dissatisfaction subsist amongst the Lough Neagh fishermen, owing to the pecuniary loss which is inflicted upon them by the operation of the "Pollen Act," which precludes them from selling fish under eight inches in length; whether he is aware that a special meeting was held on 6th March last and reported that in the opinion of the Board of Conservators no reason exists why fishermen should not be permitted to dispose of pollen of not less than seven inches, which may legally be killed by their legal nets; and what steps, if any, will be taken to give effect to the special report of the Board of Conservators to remove the grievance of the Lough Neagh fishermen by allowing them to sell pollen from seven inches in length upwards, instead of throwing them aside to rot as they are obliged to do now under the present state of the law?

MR. GERALD BALEOUR

On the 1st February last stated in answer to a question put by the hon. Member that experiments had been made with a view of ascertaining the condition of pollen less than 8 inches in length, and that apart altogether from the consideration whether fish of less than that length would be useful as marketable commodity, the results of the experiments showed clearly that to reduce the size limit would be injurious to the pollen fisheries. The Pollen Act was passed in consequence of the enormous destruction of small and immature fish. The capture of a number of seven-inch fish is due to the fact that when the net is being drawn, the meshes become strained, and even if the mesh were smaller so as to allow for the legal capture of seven-inch fish, a number of six-inch fish would, for the same reason, be captured. Upon the information at present before me, I see no reason for an amendment of the existing law.

MR. DILLON

As fishing is allowed would it not be better to allow the sale?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

I have already given all the information I have.