§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ire land whether any authority has been appointed by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheriesin Ireland to examine and report upon the size of the meshes of trawl and seine nets so as to carry out the regulations passed to enable the escape of very small fish; and whether he is aware that trawl nets frequently 1333 hold sand and destroy numbers of small fish.
(Answered by Mr. Waller Long.) The Department have issued warrants to the captain and mate of their steam cruiser "Helga," and also of the "Granuaile," which belongs to the Congested Districts Board. These warrants constitute the holders police authorities, and empower them to enforce any law, by-law, or regulation relating to sea fisheries. It is part of the duty of the coastguard to report to the Department breaches of the law regarding the size of the mesh of nets or any other matter affected by the sea fishery regulations. It is a fact that trawl nets sometimes get choked with sand when the vessels are becalmed or are moving too slowly; but the skippers in their own interests take all possible.steps to prevent this from occurring.