§ Mr. HUGH BARRIEasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that at the public inquiry into the advisability of changing the close season for the capture of salmon and trout by means of single rod and line in the Coleraine district, held at Antrim on the 12th May, 1910, and at Lisburn on the following day, every witness recommended a uniform close season for the whole district, dates from 10th October to 1st November being advocated; whether he is aware that the Board of Conservators for the Coleraine district on three occasions, 28th January, 1905, 6th November, 1907, and 2nd April, 1910, passed resolutions in favour of a uniform close date, 10th October, for the whole district, and forwarded copies of those resolutions to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries Department; in view of this local opinion, can he state the reasons which influenced the inspectors to decide to close the River Bann a month before its tributaries, the Maine and Blackwater; and whether he will ask that this decision be reconsidered by the inspector?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am informed by the Department of Agriculture that some of the witnesses at the inquiries mentioned advocated a uniform close season, but the dates proposed for its commencement varied from 1st October to 1st November. The Department received copies of resolutions of the Board of Conservators in 1905 and 1910, respectively, advocating, as the commencement of the close season, 1st October and 10th October, but the communication received from the Board in 1907 suggested (without mention of a date) a uniform close season, or, alternatively, a by-law prohibiting the sale of salmon land trout in October. The Department, in declining to make any alteration in the existing close seasons, took into consideration all the circumstances within their knowledge, and see no reason for altering the decision arrived at.