THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF AUSTRIA. 573 



and the glaring evils in the Austrian system: all these causes have 

 combined to eradicate the former indifference and have, among those 

 men in Austria who take an interest in the subject, produced an over- 

 whelming majority in favor of suitable laws for protecting and improv- 

 ing this branch of industry. 



The objection that such laws could not, under existing circumstances, 

 be carried out, has become powerless ; on the contrary, it is fully expected 

 that the laws themselves will pave the way for more correct views, for 

 greater energy in carrying on the fisheries, for order and respect for law ; 

 and that, through the better understanding and the awakened interest 

 of the population, the laws will gradually grow in efficiency. 



At first we shall have to be satisfied with small beginnings, and leave 

 it to the educating force of legislation gradually to produce a better state 

 of affairs. In some parts of the country the fishery-law may even now 

 bear its full fruit, and be put into practical execution in all its details ; 

 in other parts, however, where, for the time being, the conditions are 

 not so favorable, individual intelligence and perseverance will no doubt 

 secure a firm footing for the more important regulations. 



The greatest change of views, however, is observable not only regard- 

 ing the question of the necessity and feasibility of a fishery-law, but 

 also regarding the extent of such a law. While the former laws did not 

 go beyond sporadic regulations, having the character of police-ordi- 

 nances, such as might seem desirable to a local observer, the more 

 recent reports have aimed at a thorough exposition of the object and 

 basis of the new legislation, as well as of the several conditions on 

 which the healthy development of the fisheries depends; they endeav- 

 ored to define clearly all the judicial points growing out of these con- 

 ditions, and to urge the settlement of all these points by a fishery-law 

 which should be as nearly complete as possible. They also aimed to 

 call into life institutions calculated to improve the fisheries still further. 

 From a mere police ordinance, the fishery-regulation is to rise to the 

 dignity of an organic law. 



3. — THE OBJECT OF FISHERY LEGISLATION. 



The object of fishery legislation, as of all other economical enact- 

 ments, is to make a lasting and advantageous use of the waters con- 

 taining valuable food-fishes, and to place this interest in its proper 

 relation to all the other industries, i. e., to increase the quantity of 

 fish as much as the due regard to other industries will permit. As, 

 according to Roscher, every industry rests on scientific, technical, and 

 economical principles, which are combined for reaching a certain defi- 

 nite, practical object, viz, the most advantageous carrying on of this 

 industry, therefore must all economical legislation, with a view to the 

 right adjustment of these, be made scientific, technical, and economical 

 principles. 



Fishery legislation must have due regard to the teachings of science 



