OYSTER FISHERY LEGISLATION. IO2I 



men," who are quite indifferent to the fishermen's interest, 

 and who manage the business as they like. The fishermen' 

 instead of being partners, find they have exchanged their 

 former freedom for hard task-masters and a" tale of bricks." 

 In defiance of the opinion of experts, w^ho stated in 1877 

 " that the continued grants or concessions would result 

 in the price of oysters being raised from 10 to 15 a 

 bushel," concessions have continued to be made, and this 

 year the price is 16 per bushel ; thus their predictions 

 have not only been realised, but exceeded. 



If the price continues to increase at the same rate for the 

 next twenty years, Native oysters will be eighteenpence each, 

 and will be shortly after relegated to the same class of 

 food as Chinese birds' -nests, which are sold for their weight 

 in silver to make soup. 



Another thing to be remembered is, that the higher the 

 price the greater the inducement will be for excessive 

 dredging on the public beds, hence the greater necessity 

 there seems to be to introduce some measure for the 

 preservation of these grounds. 



No doubt the demand for oysters has largely increased 

 in England of late years, but we question whether the 

 great increase of price is wholly chargeable, either to the 

 demand or to the failure of spat, and whether unwise 

 legislation has not in a measure been the cause. At any 

 rate, if the existing policy of granting concessions be 

 continued, the logical deduction is that in the course of 

 time there will be no public grounds inside the three-mile 

 territorial limits, and outside of those limits \ve cannot 

 enforce any laws except by international conventions. 



It may be argued that the State or Board of Trade 

 retains the po\ver of withdrawing concessions in case the 

 grounds are not properly cultivated, and that in at least 



