I would point out that this measure, while increasing the material penalties on poachers, does not seem to make adequate provision for the capture of these poachers. We all know that along our coast these trawlers come in almost within a stone's throw of the land and, as far as I can see, this measure makes no adequate provision at all for the prevention of this. The Minister talked of a second "Muirchu." I cannot see that that would help very much. The "Muirchu" may be very valuable from the point of view of protection, although I do not think any of us are aware of what she has done. Beyond the material she provides for jokes in the comic papers I do not see that her services really have been remunerative in comparison with the price we pay for her. As I say, she may be very valuable, but I am unaware of the work she has done. However, should the suggestion I have to make be put into force, I quite believe that the "Muirchu" would be of very great benefit. My suggestion is, shortly, that motor boats, costing anything from £1,200 to £1,500, should be placed in service—perhaps ten or a dozen of them—all around the shores of the Free State, and that in that way every foot of the coast of Ireland would be patrolled daily. That would make adequate provision to prevent any poachers from coming within the prescribed limits.
I notice that, in his reply on the last day, the Minister talked of the herring and the mackerel fishing. They are two very important items of our fishing produce, but I would point out to the Minister that there are also other very valuable fishing industries which, in my own time, have been threatened practically with extinction. Pollock is still to be found on our coast but not at all in the proportions in which it used to be found. Sole, whiting and plaice are disappearing rapidly. Haddock and hake are practically unknown now on the south-west coast of Ireland. Gurnet were not to be found at all around our waters this year and the same can be said of bream and cod. What I would point out is that there has been no special reason why these kinds of fish should be steadily diminishing beyond the fact that these poaching trawlers undoubtedly are now bolder than ever and are coming in and fishing our waters. The Minister talked about the value of our fisheries being so small. Well, I can remember a time when that was not so. I admit that it was due principally to herring and mackerel, but I remember a time when a grant of £5,000 was given and within a very short period of that time Cape Clear, which had no boats or gear of any kind when that Vote was made, had gear and boats to the value of £60,000. I am still convinced —and of course in saying this I am really only reiterating what every man engaged in the industry believes— that if we could keep our coast clear from poachers we would have a return of all that fish that was most valuable as food for the people.
It is a very remarkable fact that year by year our fresh-water fishing has deteriorated in a most alarming way. In fact, in a very short time, if things go on as they are going at present, the occupation of fishermen in the south-west coast of Ireland will be gravely affected. You cannot make a fisherman in one or two years. It is a very highly skilled trade, and it is a very serious outlook to find that in West Cork the fishermen there are engaged at the moment in breaking stones for the roads. I believe, although if I were asked to give proof of it I could not do so, that the effect of having our sea fishing destroyed is reacting upon our fresh-water fishing. The salmon, as we all know, feeds in the fresh water and, as far as I have heard, for the six months he is in fresh water he feeds on a very thin diet indeed. I believe that the disappearance of the salmon is not due to poaching, which a number of people put it down to, because I maintain that to-day poaching is no more prevalent than it was during the time I remember. I think that it is highly probable that one of the causes of the disappearance of the salmon from our rivers is the fact that around the coast the food they existed on during the winter is no longer there, and the obvious cause of that is the interference with our coastal waters.
I would press on the Minister, accordingly, that he should go very closely into this question of having the coast patrolled. I would make the suggestion also, if the Minister thinks that is too large an order—and I maintain it is a small order considering the interests involved—that he should patrol even the coast from Wexford to Berehaven, which would involve a comparatively small sum. In a year or two he would very soon find out whether keeping the trawlers away from that coast had any effect upon the fish produce of our waters or not. It is a matter that I press very strongly on the attention of the Minister, and rather than go in for a second vessel, as he seems to think would be necessary, I would urge him very strongly to put on, say, four boats costing £1,500 at the outside, all of which can be built within the Free State and which could be run at a cost per boat of certainly not more than £700 a year. I think that would be a very valuable experiment indeed.
