OF IRISH 'FISHERIES; FOR THE YEAR 1820.
3 boats, containing each from 10 to 20,000 herrings, have each day lined our quays; several vessels have been already laden with herrings; the extensive population of this town and neighbourhood has been supplied most abundantly with the cheapest food, while all the roads and avenues for forty miles round are crowded with count-less hundreds of sotters and cadgers carrying the fish of Galway to the farthest extremity of Ireland, and promoting, through the whole interior, a circulation of industry, money and human food, truly astonishing."
The Commissioners, however, feel it their duty to state, that a similar disposition to that which has so happily been subdued on the western coasts, still exists in manv parts of the northern and southern coasts of Ireland ; but the same measures which restored order to the former, will, they make no doubt, also tranquillize the latter, and ultimately subdue that spirit of monopoly and exclusion, which has heretofore rendered unproductive the best fishery stations oil the Irish coasts.
In adverting to the benefits resulting from the services'of the Plumper gun'-bVig> the Commissioners cannot pass over in silence the attention so uniformly paid to their wishes by Rear Admiral Sir Josias Rowley, commanding at Cove ; ttie promptitude with which he co-operated in the advancement of any particular object that may conduce to the welfare of an useful and thriving nati'ohil establishment.
Antecedent to the present Fishery Establishment, a practice prevailed ih the south of Ireland of curing fish with salt which had beert previously used in curing beef and pork for export.
The fish so cured was consequently of a bad quality, and only marketable from the prevalence of the custom, which rendered any better d'e-scription of fish almost unknown in that quarter; but the Commissioners have now the satisfaction to say, that in consequence of the encouragement held out by the present Fishery Laws, and the enforcement of the regulations contained therein, this practice has been nearly, if not altogether, discontinued, and a considerable quantity of prime fish are now produced for bounty in the south, very little jf at all inierior to that which is cured by the fishermen of the eastern coast, (distin-guished by the appellation of Rush Lyng, &c.)
and so long proverbial in this country for its superior excellence.
The Commissioners deem it expedient to recommend some further amendments to the Acts of the 59 Geo.
3, c.
109; and the 1st of Geo.
4, c.
82, by which, if complied with, much unnecessary delay in the formalities of outward and inward clearance will be done away, and the obstructions under which the fisheries 6f this country labour with respect to Irish manufactured salt, removed.
The Commissioners have now the most sanguine hopes, that the beneficial intentions of the Legislature, with regard to the Irish Fisheries, will in due time be fully answered, and that Ireland will eventually enjoy not only an abundant supply for the consumption of her own population, but an export trade for the surplus of her fish, for which her resources are fully adequate.
They deem it unnecessary to enter into any further detail of their proceedings, and therefore beg leave to present the following Accounts, for the year ending ;;th of April 1821, being for the year 1820.
(Signed) CHA' STEWART HAWTHORNE.
VAL.
O'CONNOR.
Irish Fishery Office, 1 EDW° PRESTON.
Dublin, 2Q May 1821.J
THO* MAC DONNEU.
JOHN ORMSBY VANDELEUR.
GEO.
HAMILTON.
A true copy.
H.
TOWNSEND,
