22 



FISHERIES 



I: 



11 ■ 



the present more enlightened system of inspection tlie 

 tendency is happily to remove restrictions to fishing rather 

 than to make them ; and the results of a systematic search 

 for spawn in the Irish bays are reported to have been 

 such as to refute completely the charges brought against 

 th3 trawlers of destroying it. 



Drift Fishing. — Two of the most important fisheries in 

 Ireland are those for herrings and mackerel. That for 

 herrings is carried on more or less on many parts of the 

 coast, but its chief seat is in the Irish Channel, with 

 Howth, the northern point of Dublin Bay, and Ardgliiss, 

 opposite the Isle of Man, for its heiulquarters. The 

 fishery begins at the end of May or beginning of June, and 

 lasts well into September, or in some parts into October. 

 By July it is in full work, and the two stations above men- 

 tioned are then the scene of unusual life and activity, for 

 a very large proportion of the fish landed there is at once 

 packed and sent off fresh to the Fuglish and Scotch 

 markets. A little curing is done at Hi.,wth, but it better 

 answers the purpose of the Irish people to send tlieir own 

 fish fresh to market, and to import cured fish from Scotland. 

 The question of introducing the branding system into 

 Ireland has recently been considered by the inspectors of 

 fisheries, and inquiries were held on various parts of the 

 coast in order to find out the general feeling about it. The 

 inspectors say, however, in their report for 1876 — " With 

 regard to branding, we felt it c>ur duty to report that under 

 existing circumstauces we were unable to recommend ex- 

 tension of the system to Ireland — there being, firstly, no 

 io«rt ./;'(/« desire for it existing amongst tlio Irish fishcrnie 

 or curers : and, secondly, that the fish cau,^ ^ ^ in Irehuia 

 and sold fresh realized a much higher price to the captors 

 than the price received by the fishermen in Scotland and 

 cured for the foreign markets, and that no material benefit 

 would tlierefore really be derived from such extension." 



!• eland is in fact well off in having a market across the 

 channel for any quantity of fresh fish she may send over ; 

 and a large proportion oftlie herrings and trawl fish caught 

 on the east coast, and almost all the mackerel taken in tlie 

 Kinsale fishery are at once despatched there. The drift 

 fisheries are, as before mentioned, by no means monopolized 

 by the Irish fishermen, but are taken part in by a largo 

 number of stranger.s. The inspectors in their report for 

 1876 tell us that " the highest number of boats of each 

 country at Howth during the season was — Cornish 200, 

 Irish 209, Scotch 224, Manx 133. At Ardglass the 

 highest average number that fished during one day (2od 

 July) was— Scotch HI), Manx 20, Irish 42, Cornish, 19." 

 These figures show a slight increase in the Irish boats 

 over those in previous years. The east coast fishermen 

 have of late shown many signs of improvement ; and the 

 better boats and steady industry of the Manx, Scotch, and 

 Cornish fishermen have not been without their use as 

 examples of how to work the fisheries with profit. 



Kinsale has in recent years come into notice as the great 

 station for the mackerel fi.shery. This fishing begins early 

 in March and goes on till about the end of June, thus 

 immediately precedhig the herring season. In 1876 there 

 were 217 English and Manx boats, 13 Scotch, and 133 Iri.sh 

 engaged in this fishery, besides more than GO large French 

 luggers, the last-mentioned boat* salting their fisli as soon 

 as caught, and returning home when they have made their 

 cargo. The mackerel fishery is a very important one for 

 Kinsale, a.s it gives employment, not only to the fishermen, 

 but to numerous other persons of various descriptions. The 

 mackerel are almost all packed in ice and sent to England. 

 During the season of 1876 there were 7 steamers and 11 

 cutters in this carrying trade, — the former at a monthly 

 expense of £350 to X400 for each vessel, besides paying 

 all dues, coals, and pilotage ; and 4400 tous of ice were 



imported solely for the package of the fish. The mackerel 

 are packed in boxes containing a " hundred," or six score 

 of fish in each, and the official returns show a total capture 

 of 139,083 boxes full in the season of 1876. The prices 

 ranged from 1 2s. to £,b per box in the course of the regular 

 season; but some boats made a large catch afterwards in 

 July, when there was little demand for the fish, and prices 

 then went as low as Ss. per 100. 



Tlie following is a summary of the quantity of herrings, 

 mackerel, and cod exported from Ireland to the under- 

 mentioned places in England during 1876 : — 



Honings Viilued at £2 per liox £227,990 



Mackeivl,' 139,083 boxes at an averaged' 163. per box 111,266 

 Cod at £3 per box.. 165,207 



Total value £504,463 



It will be seen from the above figures that the Irish 

 ' sheries are by no means wanting in importance, and it is 

 much to be regretted that the fishermen of the Cdunhy do 

 not take & larger share in working them. The produce of 

 the deei)-sca trawl fishery is also very valuable, but we can 

 give no return of the considerable quantity of trnwl-fish 

 sent to England. 



It has been a matter of surprise to many that no system- 

 atic attempt has been made to catch the large shimls of 

 pilchards which annually visit the south coast of Ireland. 

 The prejudice of the Irish fishermen against pilcLanis has 

 been so great as to almost dishearten the inspeciorh in tlieir 

 repeated endeavours to bring this fishery into uuiice. 

 Whilst the great Cornish sean fisheries have been lui giiish- 

 ing because the shoals of pilchards have not come into the 

 bays within reach of the nets, they have been in plenty 

 on parts of the Irish coast. One of the inspectors (Mr 

 ISrady) has been untiring in his exertions to procure every 

 kind of informatidn about the catching and <uiing of 

 pilchards in the Cornish fashion, in the ho|ie of ith h iitling 

 to the establishment of curing stations in Ireliiiid, but 

 little progress has yet been made. The inspectois, how- 

 ever, continue to bo hopeful in the matter, and in their 

 report for 1870 they say:- — "No efforts have yet been 

 made to cure for tlie Continental markets, but fonie have 

 been cured for home consumption on various parts of the 

 coast. I5y degrees this fish is being regarded wiih more 

 favour by the country people, and if they continue tn fre- 

 quent our coast as they have now done for mnie ye irn, 

 there is little doubt but that a considerable trade will 

 result, as they come more into favour," 



We have now referred to all the inijiortant Iri-h sea 

 fisheries. It may be added that line-fishing is mine i.r Ksa 

 general around the coast, and is perh'ips more systi nniti- 

 cally attempted on the north and west sides than else- 

 where. 



Manx Fisheries. — The fisheries carried on from the Isle 

 of Man do not call for S[tecial notice, us they are prartieally 

 those of the Irish sea, and in which the industrious Manx- 

 men always take a prominent part. 



' l:i»,083 boxen of tnuckcrcl were iccoidcd, anil moat of them were cxjiorted, 

 but tbe retuina o{ exporta are incomplete. 



