INTERNATIONAL FISHERY INVESTIGATIONS 587 



but it is nevertheless the case, that in England the whole 

 system of local fishery legislation was devised in almost entire 

 ignorance of the conditions, scientific or otherwise, under which 

 the local fisheries were carried on. The natural result is that 

 now, after twelve or fifteen years of experience of local fishery 

 supervision, we are still in ignorance as to the results of all the 

 restrictions (save one or two at the most) which have been in 

 operation during that time. 



The scientific investigation of the sea fisheries began in 

 Great Britain with the old " Board of British White Herring 

 Fishery " which had charge of the herring fisheries of Scotland. 

 When the Fishery Board for Scotland was reconstituted in 1882 

 definite provision for the prosecution of scientific research in 

 connection with the industry was made, and under the various 

 scientific members of the Board investigation was actively 

 carried on. In England fishery research work was first 

 instituted by the Marine Biological Association, which was 

 founded in 1884. Much later, the local fishery committees were 

 created, and one or two of these authorities began scientific 

 investigations in a very tentative kind of way. It was not until 

 the beginning of the present decade that a really adequate 

 scheme of investigation was suggested. I have said that when 

 the increased exploitation of the North Sea by modern fishing 

 craft began, a distinct falling-off in the abundance of certain 

 kinds of fish was experienced. This, of course, was much 

 discussed by the trawling trade, and in casting about for a 

 remedy attention was directed to the enormous quantities of 

 small and comparatively valueless fish of certain kinds which 

 were being landed from various fishing grounds in the North 

 Sea. It was thought that the destruction of these small and 

 immature fish was at least one of the causes of the growing 

 impoverishment of many of the older fishing grounds, and 

 attempts were made to procure legislation which would put a 

 stop to this form of fishing. A number of bills were therefore 

 introduced into the House of Commons, but none of these were 

 successful in obtaining passage into law. That of 1900 probably 

 went farther than any of its predecessors, for it resulted in the 

 appointment of a Select Committee of the Lower House which 

 made a recommendation which had important results. 



The Select Committee of 1900 did not recommend the 

 passage of the Immature Fish Bill of that year. They recog- 



