asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the number of salmon caught by rod and line in the rivers of the Twenty-Six Counties in each of the years since 1948, and what improvements by way of protection have been afforded to anglers on these rivers since that date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Salmon Catches.
The information asked for in the first part of the question is as follows:—
|
Year. |
Number of Salmon. |
|
1948 |
18,005 |
|
1949 |
18,351 |
|
1950 |
26,135 |
|
1951 |
27,055 |
|
1952 |
23,838 |
|
1953 |
26,931 |
|
1954 |
33,225 |
These figures do not include the catches on rivers in the Foyle area.
As to the second part of the question the inland fishery protection service is a matter for the boards of conservators in the first instance. It is not possible to specify the particular improvements in the matter of protection introduced since 1948 but some indication of the efforts of the boards to provide improved protection is given by the fact that from 1948 to 1954 their total expenditure on protection staff increased by 69 per cent.