MR. SETOX- KARR (St. Helen's)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that over 100 drift nets, decided by the House of Lords in May, 1900, to be illegal, are now being used on the coast of Ireland, off the mouths of the rivers Foyle and Bann, for the capture of salmon, which nets form an obstruction for over seventy miles; and, seeing that the Conservators of the Londonderry district are now practically powerless to take any steps to enforce the law as to the weekly close time, which has been openly disregarded, owing to want of funds and assistance from His Majesty's coastguards, whether the Government propose to take any, and, if so, what steps to put down the use of drift nets and to enforce the observance of the weekly close time.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.The decision of the House of Lords referred to was given in a Scotch case. The Salmon Fishery Laws of Scotland rest on an entirely different basis from those of Ireland (there being 120 no common law right of salmon fishing in Scotland). This method of fishing is a source of livelihood to perhaps 1,500 of the poorer class of fishermen on the Irish coast. The use of drift nets has been in many cases regulated by bye-law, and has been undisputed for about forty years. The obligation of seeing that the weekly close time is observed rests with Boards of Conservators.
§ MR. SETON-KARRIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Conservators asked for a gunboat to protect these fisheries and were refused?
§ MR. ATKINSONAmong the many things the Irish Government is responsible for, gunboats are not included.