2G4 F I S H E 11 I E S [l III.SH. Kinsale mackerel the present more enlightened system of inspection the tendency is happily to remove restrictions to fishing rather than to make them ; and the results of a systematic searcli for spawn in the Irish bays are reported to have been such as to refute completely the charges brought against the trawlers of destroying it- Drift Fishiiifj. 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 Ardgkss, opposite the Isle of Man, for its headquarters. 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 iu 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 English and Scotch markets. A little curing is done at Howth, but it better answers the purpose of the Irish people to send their 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 1S7G " With regard to branding, we felt it our duty to report that under existing circumstances we were unable to recommend ex tension of the system to Ireland there being, firstly, no bona fide desire for it existing amongst the Irish fishermen or curers ; and, secondly, that the fish caught in Ireland 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 therefore really be derived from such extension." Ireland 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 of the herrings and trawl fish caught on the east coast, and almost all the mackerel taken in the Kinsale fishery are at once despatched there. The drift fisheries arc, as before mentioned, by no means monopolized by the Irish fishermen, but are taken part in by a large number of strangers. The inspectors in their report for 187G tell us that " the highest number of boats of each country at Howth during the season was Cornish 206, Irish 209, Scotch 224, Manx 133. At Ardglass the highest average number that fished during one clay (23d July) was Scotch 140, 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 fishery. This fishing begins early in March and goes on till about the end of June, thus immediately preceding the herring season. In 1876 there were 217 English and Manx boats, 13 Scotch, and 133 Irish engaged in this fishery, besides more than GO large French luggers, the last-mentioned boats salting their fish as soon as caught, and returning home when they have made their cargo. The mackerel fishery is a very important one for Kinsale, as 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 400 for each vessel, besides paying all dues, coals, and pilotage ; and 4400 tons of ice were imported solely for the package of the ibh. The mackerel are packed in boxes containing a "hundred, or six scoic 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 5 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 3s. per 100. The following is a summary of the quantity of herrings, Exports mackerel, and cod exported from Ireland to the under- cffls ^ lentioned places in England du ing 187G :- from land. Herrings. Mackerel. Co.l. London lioxes of 12 cut. 31,606 Uoxes of > ewt. 29,500 i oxes of 2 cwt 11.882 Nottingham 2,770 4,829 Bradford 6,977 3,805 3,001 Manchester 17,555 9,721 9,854 Sheffield 7,819 5,583 2.465 Wolverhamptou 5,521 6,998 4,078 5,282 2,098 2,953 Liverpool 21,763 14,017 12,000 Birmingham 12,204 4,89-i 5,987 Total 113,995 79,050 55,069 It will be seen from the above figures that the Irish fisheries are by no means wanting in importance, and it is much to be regretted that the fishermen of the country do not take a larger share in working them. The produce of the deep-sea trawl fishery is also very valuable, but we can give no return of the considerable quantity of trawl-fish sent to England. It has been a matter of surprise to many that no system- Proposed atic attempt has been made to catch the large shoals of pilchard pilchards which annually visit the south coast of Ireland. llslienes - The prejudice of the Irish fishermen against pilchards has been so great as to almost dishearten the inspectors in their repeated endeavours to bring this fishery into notice. Whilst the great Cornish scan fisheries have been languish 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 (Mi- Brady) has been untiring in his exertions to procure every kind of information about the catching and curing of pilchards in the Cornish fashion, in the hope of its leading to the establishment of curing stations in Ireland, but little progress has yet been made. The inspectors, how ever, continue to be hopeful in the matter, and in their report for 1876 they say: "No efforts have yet been made to cure for the Continental markets, but tunic have been cured for home consumption on various parts of the coast. By degrees this fish is being regarded with more favour by the country people, and if they continue to fre quent our coast as they have now done for some year?, there is little doubt but that a considerable trade will result, as they come more into favour." We have now referred to all the important Irish sea fisheries. It may be added that line-fishing is more or less general around the coast, and is perhaps more systemati cally attempted on the north and west sides than else where. MANX FISHERIES. The fisheries carried on from the Isle MANX of Man do not call for special notice, as they are practically FISIIKU- those of the Irish sea, and in which the industrious Manx- T men always take a prominent part. 1 130,083 boxes of mackerel were recorded, ;:nd most cf them were exported, but the ix tuuis of exports are incomplete 1 .
