IRELAND 



against the passage of fish. There is good angling 

 in the Mourne, the Strule, and the Derg, tributaries 

 of the Foyle. 



The MOURNE, in County Tyrone, is under dis- 

 advantages that are common to many Irish waters. 

 The Duke of Abercorn writes : 



" There is a decided falling-off in the stock of fish. 

 I attribute it to the enormous amount of drift nets 

 which are now being used on the West Coast, not 

 only by local fishermen, but also, I regret to say, 

 by an English Syndicate, who have put a consider- 

 able number of steam drift boats just outside the 

 Government limit. I am informed that these catch 

 salmon to an enormous number during the early part 

 of the year. It is absolutely wicked that this should 

 be permitted. It destroys all inland rights of fisheries 

 belonging to companies and to private river owners. 

 There is certainly no improvement on my river ; nor 

 do I think that the public realise in the least the im- 

 portance of being aroused to the dangers of pollution 

 and other injuries to the fish. Everybody in this 

 country works for his own greedy self s pocket." 



The CLAUDY, in County Donegal, has been de- 

 clining for two or three years. Mr. A. Robertson, 

 Gweedore, attributes this to the drift nets oft* the 

 coast. "Last season we were obliged to charter 

 a steamer for the purpose of patrolling the coast 

 to prevent illegal fishing. Drift-net fishing is 

 bound to injure all the rivers on this coast. With 

 fair play the Claudy, though only five miles and a 

 half long, is a good river." 



