SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND THE SEA 



FISHERIES 



Bv J. T. JENKINS, D.Sc, Ph.D., 



Superintendent, Lancashire and Western Sea Fisheries 



During the last few years no less than three Departmental 

 Committees have inquired into and reported on the facilities 

 for scientific research into problems concerning the sea fisheries 

 of these islands. There was first of all the Committee on 

 Ichthyological Research of 1902, then the Committee on Fishery 

 Investigations of 1908, and finally the Committee appointed by 

 Mr. Runciman in 191 3 to " advise the Board (of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries) on questions relating to the elucidation through 

 scientific research of problems affecting fisheries." 



The recent publication of the " first report " of the last 

 Committee raises anew the whole question of the State aid of 

 scientific investigation of the fisheries. The recommendations 

 of the two former Committees are now of historical interest 

 only, but in order to understand properly the present position 

 it is necessary to consider briefly the position of scientific 

 fishery research at the time these Committees reported. No 

 one cognisant of the facts can fail to be struck with the 

 enormous growth of marine biological research subsidised by 

 the State ostensibly because it throws light on problems con- 

 cerning the future of our fisheries. 



The central authorities for fishery administration in the 

 three kingdoms are in England the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries, in Scotland the Fishery Board, and in Ireland the 

 Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction. In 

 England and Wales there are also local administrative authorities, 

 usually Joint Committees of maritime County and County 

 Borough Councils. In 1902, when the Committee on Ichthyolo- 

 gical Research reported, the central fishery authority for England 

 and Wales (then the Board of Trade) practically undertook no 

 scientific fishery research, although they collected the com- 



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