§ MR. FLYNNI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Report of the Department of Agriculture on the Sea and Inland Fisheries of Ireland for 1902 and 1903 has been brought to his notice; whether his attention has been called to the fact that pages 1 to 214 are occupied with scientific investigations, diagrams, and plates dealing with marine fauna, with noctiluca miliaris, muggiæ atlantica, pleurobrachia pileus, echinodermata, and other specimens of marine life interesting to naturalists, and only two pages to the questions of shoal fish, the present destruction of immature mackerel on the South Coast, and other matters of great practical importance to working fishermen; and whether he will advise the Department to recommend the inspectors of fisheries to give more attention to the practical side of Sea and Inland Fisheries in their next annual Report, and, if necessary, to give the scientific side in a more condensed form.
§ MR. WALTER LONGThe Department's annual Reports on Fisheries are divided into two parts, Part I. being the general report of the inspectors, and Part II. the technical report of the scientific adviser. The hon. Member's attention appears to have been directed to the latter Report only. The destruction of immature mackerel off the South Coast is engaging the attention of the Department.
§ MR. FLYNNOur complaint is that so much space is devoted to marine biology and so little to the improvement of the South of Ireland fisheries. We want something more practical.