THE INSHORE FISHERIES 187 



The policy pursued by the Board is outlined in their annual 

 reports. It is the west of Ireland fishermen with whom the Board 

 is concerned. Their main object in promoting the development 

 of the fisheries is not to turn farmers into fishermen, but to promote 

 fishing of a kind that will enable the fisherman-farmer of the west 

 coast to supplement his insufiicient earnings from the land by 

 receipts from sea fishing. The boats utilised for such purposes ought 

 to be inexpensive and light. It would not pay to purchase a costly 

 boat that might be used for only two or three months of the year ; 

 and it is important that a boat should not be so heavy as to cause 

 difficulty in launching, or in moving it up the beach to a place of 

 safety. Canvas curraghs or canoes, which are largely used along 

 the coast of Connacht and in the counties Clare and Kerry, although 

 such craft might provoke a smile from the skipper of a steam 

 trawler, frequently bring their crews for the time engaged as much 

 pay per man as if the canoe-men were paid " hands " in the employ 

 of a limited liability company. The strongly buUt sailing boat of 

 Connemara can also be used for net -fishing for herrings, while at 

 other times of the year it is used for the carriage of turf for sale, of 

 seaweed, and of general merchandise. The use of boats of the 

 local type for such occasional fishing is often the wisest policy ; 

 they are sure to be cheap and safe, it is unwise to lead fishermen- 

 farmers to incur heavy liabilities for boats and gear. 



In the spring of 1901 the Congested Districts Board subsidised a 

 few large herring boats from Scotland, the idea being to ascertain 

 whether or not a profitable herring fishery could be established off 

 the Donegal coast in spring and early summer ; and as a result of this 

 experiment herring fishing on a rather extensive scale was tried in 

 May and June, 1902. The County Donegal herring fishery is now 

 established on a commercial basis and requires little intervention 

 on the part of the Board. The Board have also encouraged the 

 mackerel fishing, organising a trade in Irish cured mackerel with 

 the United States of America. They also experiment with steam 

 drifters and motor boats. They have, however, found it difficult 

 at most places on the coast to start or to revive long-line fishing by 

 those fishermen who have been accustomed to use nets, and yet in 

 average or good seasons there is no kind of fishing that would be 

 so likely to ensure steady if comparatively small earnings to the 

 fisherman-farmer . 



Loans for boats and fishing gear are made widely along the coast. 

 The Board also mount, bark and repair nets, and mount lines at 

 their fishery station at Downings ; at various other stations they 

 store, bark and repair nets ia use at each locality. Boat -building is 

 carried on at Meevagh, Co. Donegal ; the Board's cooperage at 



