§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENasked the Chief Secretary whether it has come to his knowledge that the fishermen of the Murrisk sailing boats have been prohibited from otter-trawling at Klem Bay, Achill; whether the by-law against trawling inshore was directed against steam trawling, and is quite unnecessary against the simple operations of sailing boats; whether he is aware that as Klem Bay offers the only remunerative fishing on the Clew Bay coast the effect of rigidly enforcing the by-law would be to destroy the sailing-boat industry, which is already severely tried by the competition with power-boats and by the declining market for mackerel; and whether, under these circumstances, the by-law will be dropped except in its relation to steam trawling?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAll trawling is prohibited in Klem Bay under the by-law of 1897. The repeal of the by-law would undoubtedly be an advantage to the Murrisk fishermen, but would probably meet with great opposition in Achill. If there was any reason to expect that this opposition had become substantially modified within recent years the Department would hold an inquiry to consider the matter.