58 



MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFOKE THE 



10 March 190-i.J 



The Rev. W. S. Green. 



[Continued. 



Chairman — continued. 



so that in the catching the fish are naturally 

 landed. 



1049. Supposing that vessels were prohibited 

 from landing undersized fish in England, would 

 you think it undersirable that there should be a 

 market for them in Ireland ? — That is our real 

 reason for wishing to support the Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries m this Bill. It did 

 strike us that if this law existed in England, we 

 should be put in a position to help them in 

 making such regulations as would prevent these 

 undersized fish being landed in Ireland. 



1050. What statutory powers have county 

 councils in Ireland to deal with fishery matters ? 

 — None that I know of with regard to sea 

 fisheries. 



1051. In that respect they differ from the 

 English counties ? — I think so. 



1052. Do you consider it desirable that the 

 same powers should be granted to county 

 councils in Ireland as the Bill proposes to give 

 to the county councils in England ? — I think it 

 is unnecessary, and I think it would lead to 

 complication : and, furthermore, I do not see 

 the necessity of putting upon the counties the 

 levying a rate which this would necessitate. 



1053. Then you would prefer to see an amend- 

 ment in the Bill to that effect ? — I think so ; it 

 would simplify matters.- 



Lord Xorthbourne. 



1054. What are the two ports you say chiefly 

 in Ireland where these fishing vessels went 

 from ?^Those are sailing trawlers, Galway and 

 Dingle. 



1055. Where is that ? — Dingle is in Kerry. 



1056. What number of trawling vessels have 

 thev got at both those places ? — There are about 

 18 in one and 20 in the other. 



1057. Are there any steam trawhng vessels 

 there ? — No ; but steam trawling vessels fish oft' 

 that iioast, coming from England. 



1058. Oft' the west coast ? — Off the west 

 coast. 



1059. Where do they land their fish ? — Either 

 in Milford or Fleetwood or Liverpool. 



1060. They do not land them in Ireland ? 

 —No. 



1001. I do not suppose this Bill would very 

 largely affect Ireland, would it ? — No, it would 

 not ; the probability is that we would not feel it 

 necessary to make any rule or regulation under 

 this Bill ; except it might be to assist the 

 English authorities in enforcing the law. 



1062. \\1iat sort of regulation could you 

 make in Ireland to assist the English authori- 

 ties in enforcing the Law ? — If it came to pass 

 that vessels could not land small fish in England, 

 and they came and dumped them in Ireland, 

 we could then of course make an Order under 

 this Bill which would stop that business. 



1063. Has this particular proposal with regard 

 to the prohibition of the sale or undersized fish 

 come much under your notice ? — It has not, 

 because it is not important in Ireland. 



1064. I suppose your duties are to a certain 

 extent of a scientific character and general 

 investigation ? — Certainly that is part of the 

 dutv of our staff. 



Lord Northbourne — continued. 



1065. Have you come across it in that way ? 

 — We come across it in matters of statistics, and 

 we come across it in all our business, 



1066. Then it is your opinion that for the 

 benefit of the English fishing industry some- 

 thing of this kind should be passed and carried 

 out ? — From what I know of the fishing in the 

 North Sea — I know very little about it, and 

 therefore I do not like expressing an opinion — 

 but it seems from what I have heard of late that 

 it is a desirable thing for protecting the fisheries 

 of the North Sea. 



1067. What have you read about it ; was it 

 generally, or in your scientific study ? — Both. 



Lord Heneage. 



1068. So far as Ireland is concerned, this Bill 

 would be immaterial to them ? — Yes, quite 

 immaterial. 



1069. Ycur fishermen do not go into the 

 North Seas very much ? — They do not. 



1070. But you would not be averse to the 

 Orders under this Bill being extended to Ire- 

 land for the protection of the trade generally ? 

 — We would not object to that, provided that 

 the few small details we wish to have altered in 

 the Bill are altered ; there are one or two things. 



1071. It would not be injurious to Ireland, in 

 your opinion, to have Orders made under this 

 Bill ? I do not say exactly the same Orders as 

 in England. — No. 



1072. For the prohibition of landing ? — No ; 

 giving the Irish authority the power. It would 

 not be in any way injurious to us to make the 

 Orders. 



Lord Tweedmouth. 



1073. Do you see the fish that are landed 

 in Dublin ? — I do not, except when I buy one. 



1074. You never go down to the quays ? — I 

 have done so occasionally, but not as a rule. 



1075. Is there any inspection of the fish that 

 are landed ? — Yes, there is. Wo have a special 

 weekly report from the head of the market in 

 Dublin, who gives us complete returns of all the 

 fish landed, and comments on their size when 

 there is anything special to report. 



1076. And do you get a record of the size of 

 the fish at aU ? — No, we liave not attempted 

 that. 



1077. Do not you think it would be an ad- 

 vantage that you should ? — We do get occa- 

 sionally reports of small fish being landed, and 

 we make investigations then to try and locate 

 the small fish ; but we have not attempted it 

 in any systematic manner, because so far it 

 does not seem to be of any great importance. 



1078. Do you often have reports of the land- 

 ing of undersized flat fish ? — Every year there 

 are a few reports of the sort coming in to us. 



1079. What class of fish are mostly included 

 in the undersized ones ? — Undoubtedly a large 

 number of dabs are included, and there are a 

 certain proportion of small plaice landed. 



1080. A great quantity of dabs never do grow 

 to a large size, anyhow ? — No. 



1081. It is hardly fair to talk about under- 

 sized fish when you refer to dabs, is it ? — Seve- 

 ral times we have had reports made t#us that a 



lot of 



