§ MR. JOHN O'CONNORI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, whether the Department of Agriculture for Ireland has taken notice of the new methods recently adopted by Norwegian fishermen for the 1118 catching and curing at sea of mackerel along the Irish coast; if so, whether the attention of Irish fishermen and merchants has been drawn to such new methods; and whether, seeing that the Irish trade in America in cured mackerel is endangered thereby, the Department will take all necessary steps to bring this industry up to date.
MR. BRYCEI am informed by the Department that in June last one Norwegian crew came to cure mackerel on the Irish coast, and that the method adopted by the Norwegians was the same as that pursued by the Irish. For over ten years the Norwegians have sent a special class of mackerel, caught on lines and cured at once, to the American market. These consignments were small, and fetched high prices; but the treatment of the fish in such cases is not applicable where large quantities have to be dealt with. The Congested Districts Board have had a Norwegian instructor, expert in this class of curing, on the west coast of Ireland for two years.