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REPO R T OF THE INSPECTORS OF IRISH FISHERIES ON THE DEEP SEA, COAST, AND INLAND FISHERIES OF IRELAND, FOR 1871. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by COmmand of her Majesty DUBLIN; PRINTED BY ALEXANDER THOM, 87 & 88, ABBEY-STREET. FOR HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE. 1872. | C. — 642.] Price 1 s. CONTENTS. Page report,.................................................................................................. 3 APPENDIX,................................................................. 17 REPORT OF THE INSPECTORS OF IRISH FISHERIES ON THE DEEP SEA, COAST, AND INLAND FISHERIES OF IRELAND, FOR 1871. TO HIS EXCELLENCY JOHN POYNTZ, EARL SPENCER, K. G., LORD LIEUTENANT-GENERAL AND GENERAL GOVERNOR OF IRELAND. » May it please your Excellency, We, the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries, in conformity with the 112th sec., 5 & 6 Vic., cap. 104, beg to submit our Report on the Sea and Inland Fisheries of Ireland for the year 1871. There was much difficulty and delay in obtaining returns last year from the Coast­ guard of the number of vessels, boats, and men engaged in the Sea Fisheries, in consecpience of a large portion of the coast being unguarded, and the diminished number of the force, owing to many being obliged to be absent at the training-ships. It was therefore impossible, consistently with the performance of their other duties, for them to proceed into the unguarded districts to obtain statistics until the year had advanced. The returns relative to craft and crews which appeared in the Report for 1870, really represented the numbers for 1871. Under these circumstances we did not consider ourselves justified in putting the Coast-guard to the trouble, and incurring the outlay (as the expenses of the latter while collecting the statistics along the unguarded part of the coast had to be defrayed by this department) to obtain returns which would necessarily be the same as those which would have been collected in the middle of the present year. We therefore make the same return as appeared in our Report for 1870, viz. :—8,999 vessels and boats, and 38,629 men and boys. The number of the former in 1846, just previous to the famine, was 19,883, and the latter 113,073. According to this it would appear that as compared with 1846, the vessels and boats are less than one-half, and the crews amount to about one-third. Considerable as this diminution appears, still it does not, we believe, adequately repre­ sent the decrease that lias taken place" in those following fishery pursuits. From what we can learn, even relatively, many more of the boats returned as fishing craft up to 1846 came properly under that denomination than those returned as such in 1870 and 1871. Up to 1846 there can be no doubt that a much greater proportion of the craft returned as fishing boats were really employed as such, and that the crews so far as regarded the ordinary Coast Fisheries, devoted much more time to fishing pursuits than those now returned. On an average the 6,296 boats stated to be partially engaged in fishing are so em­ ployed, but for a very short time during the year ; their usual occupation being the conveyance of goods, passengers, turf, manure, cutting sea weed, &c. Of the 26,374 men and boys returned as the crews composing the boats partially employed in fishing, we believe that number to be enormously exaggerated. We found that in many places the Coast-guard adopted the following mode of making up their returns of craft and crews. Having obtained the number of the former, every­ thing being put down as a fishing boat that was so engaged for even one day, the crew required was calculated, and without ascertaining whether such existed, made to appear on the list as if it actually did. Nothing could be more fallacious, as it frequently happens that the same men serve for two boats. Those who go out in a herring boat one day man a boat for long or short line fishing another. It is hardly too much, therefore, to say that the 26,374 represented as partially engaged in fishing may be taken at fully one-fourth less. The average number of days that this class fish hardly exceed twenty in the year. This arises from the following causes : the tempestuous nature of a great part of the coast, especially the northern and western portions—the number of days that even good sized and well found boats could venture out being much less than in any other part of the kingdom; the unsuitability of many of the boats to encounter storm, and the 4 REPORT OF THE inadequacy of the gear ; the distance from markets, and deficiency in many places of the means of transport. As we stated in our reports for 1869 and 1870, much good could be accomplished by loans to the fishermen for the purchase and repair of boats and gear. If judiciously administered, no appreciable loss to the Exchequer would, we believe, result, whilst the benefit conferred on the coast population and the consumer, would be considerable, as we stated last year :— “ Another year’s experience fully confirms the opinion which we have already expressed to your Excellency, that 1 no great improvement can be looked for in the sea fisheries until loans are advanced to a portion of the fishermen for the repair and purchase of boats and gear.’ <{ Having visited every part of the coast, and fully informed ourselves of the condition of the fishermen, we unhesitatingly pronounce that if much longer time is allowed to pass without our suggestions being carried out, fishing industry will nearly expire on half the coast. Every day’s delay will add enormously to the difficulty of restoration, as boats and gear get out of repair, and the owners abandon the pursuit—in many instances their little tracts of ground become absorbed in the larger farms near them—and there is less opportunity for the youthful poi’tion of the sea-coast population becoming acquainted with the mode of managing boats or capturing fish. “ Already in many places the coast may be traversed for miles, even where good shelter exists and fish abound, without a boat being seen. This deplorable state of things is certain to increase if a helping hand be not extended to save this important industry from perishing. Ten or twenty thousand pounds, judiciously expended now—not as a gift, but as a loan—would do far more good than a million given away in half a dozen years hence. Indeed no amount of money, if things be suffered to take their present course, could in that time accomplish what might now be done by the outlay of a few thousands, certain to be again nearly all refunded to the State. li Numerous instances have come to our knowledge of industrious fishermen being prevented from adequately pursuing their calling fox' want of a little money to procure materials, fox' which they could give satisfactory security. “ It is not too much to estimate that if men such as these were aided, within a few years fully a million’s worth more of fish would be afforded to the public than there is at present, that the above additional amount would be put in circulation, tending to promote various other industries, the extinction of an important class would be stayed, and a valuable nursery for the Royal and Mercantile Marine preserved. “That loans could be easily and inexpensively administered, and that little ox1 no loss .would be likely to be incurred if due care were observed by the department charged with their administration in obtaining proper security, is fully proved by the operations of ‘ the Society foi’ bettering the Condition of the Poox- of Ireland.’ “ To free grants we would be strongly opposed, and consider that much of the benefit likely to result from loans would be marred unless their repayment was strictly enforced.” According to a Report lately issued by the “ Society for bettering the Condition of the Poor of Ireland,” a sum of <£24,581 was lent by them during the last seven years to the Fishermen on different parts of the coast. Great good appears to have been done and no losses to the Society seem to have occurred. Although confined to a comparatively small portion of the coast, the Herring and Mackerel Fisheries produce fully three-fourths of the entire sum which we calculate is realized by the capture of fish around the Irish Coast. i t?- tt i j r Independent of Oyster Fisheries, we estimate this at between Four and rive Hundred Thousand a year. Of this herrings produce under £200,000, and mackerel £150,000. Of the total produce the Irish fishermen hardly gain more than a fouith English, Manx, Scotch, and French boats carrying off the remainder. According to the return kept at Howth, the highest number of craft belonging to each country fishing m 1871, was :—Cornish, 88; Scotch, 44 ; Manx, 168; Irish, 113. At Kinsale mackerel fishery, English and Manx boats, 197; French, 49; Irish, 70. During the present year, 1872, 100 French boats appeared at one time off Kinsale; the latter, both in tonnage, equipment, and amount of crew, are far beyond the Irish boats as a rule. This superiority is attributable in a great measure to the encouragement given to the fisheries by the French Government. So much importance does the latter attach to this industry as a means of employment, supply of food, and as a nursery for seamen, that notwithstanding the present large charge on the revenue the grant for the promotion of the fisheries has not been diminished.

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