>>840829Like, for real?
British Crown outlawed fishing not done by Crown approved fishers. Anyone caught fishing would be killed as a poacher.
Additionally, the Irish didn't have much in the way of fishing boats. They had timber frame kayaks with willow branches for shape, and waxed animal hides to actually keep out the water.
Additionally, most fish were fed to pigs. The irish never really cared much for fish outside of Friday (thanks, Catholicism!).
The problem was also that even if you COULD produce food, you needed to sell it to english landlords to pay rent and taxes to english landlords, and they'd pay you a pittance because there was nobody else to sell to besides other dirt poor potato farmers.
They couldn't load up a truck and drive through the Calais tunnel to hock their fish and produce in France. The well off farmers had a cart and a mule that could make a 10 mile trip and back in a day.
They also didn't have any real means to cure, smoke, or dry fish for transport, so it would spoil within 4-6 hours unless cooked, and even if cooked, would spoil by the next day.
