IRELAND 191 



nurture this net -fishing. That the Board intend 

 to develop net -fishing along the western coast of 

 Ireland is made clear by the report for 1904, in 

 which, after relating the gratifying increase of nets 

 off the Donegal coast, and various captures of salmon, 

 including 600 salmon to one boat during a season 

 of five weeks, it is said : 'A further large extension 

 of this industry may be expected, it being the 

 intention of the fishermen to exploit the waters to 

 the south of the areas hitherto fished in this way." 1 

 Thus, we may expect an unwelcome descent upon the 

 Connemara and Galway coast. I may add that the 

 Board of Agriculture have charge and control of 

 both the inland and the sea fisheries of Ireland, 

 and are supposed to be anxious to serve the interests 

 of each. It is certain that our salmon and sea-trout 

 have become fewer. The sea- trout are smaller. 

 Captures in the outer sea, so attractive to the larger 

 fish, are undoubtedly the cause of the decline. Sea- 

 trout in large numbers are caught in spring by 

 mackerel boats along the Galway and Connemara 

 coast. The boats fish close to and along the coast 

 line, and in certain places within the estuaries." 



The MAIGUE, a tributary of the Shannon, has been 

 much injured. Sir David Vandaleur Roche, who is 

 seventy -two years of age, and has fished in the 

 stream since boyhood, writes : 



"I recollect when there were no fishing laws. 

 Then the river was full of salmon. There were no 

 nets on the tidal portion and no facilities for sending 

 fish to markets far away. When railways were 



