43 6 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



fishery by reference to one of identical character, and of 

 nearly the same extent ; and as there was nothing in the 

 experience of the Boston Corporation to lead to the belief 

 that the Lynn Mussel Fishery would be self-supporting,, the 

 promoters of the latter ought not to have applied for 50 

 square miles of ground in which no mussels exist, unless 

 they were prepared to meet the cost of its efficient manage- 

 ment, after providing for the loss which might be expected 

 to occur upon the mussel account. I can fully appreciate the 

 reasons which may have weighed with the Corporation in 

 inducing them to neglect the oyster beds, when the pressure 

 of expense became inconvenient. The fishermen of Lynn 

 have never been employed in dredging for oysters. At a 

 time when 100 boats were commonly seen upon the Lynn 

 beds, not more than 10 or 12 belonged to Lynn itself; in 

 1871, out of 125 registered boats, only one was engaged 

 in oyster fishing ; and three fishermen formed the contingent 

 which Lynn provided for the dredging of 1875. It was not 

 likely that Lynn would profit to any great extent by the 

 development of its oyster beds ; while, on the other hand, 

 the mussel fishery is chiefly in the hands of the local fisher- 

 men, and the Corporation might very naturally be unwilling 

 to spend local funds for a non-local object. But consider- 

 ations of this kind ought to be taken into account before 

 application is made for a regulating Order. A body 

 undertaking to regulate a fishery accepts public property 

 in trust, primarily no doubt to administer it for the sake of 

 the fishermen with whom it is more immediately connected, 

 but under the obligation to so manage it in the interests 

 of the public at large as to secure the largest possible 

 amount of production. A trust so undertaken cannot be 

 laid aside at any moment when the interests, or the con- 

 venience, of the trustees may happen to be touched. 



