i62 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, where plans of further research and 

 development were being thought out. At the same time those concerned 

 with the actual industry had formed committees and were planning out the 

 reconversion of the fishing fleets, believing that there would be considerable 

 confusion as soon as peace was assured. So schemes for the reorganisation 

 of the statutory fishery authorities ; for the training of fisher lads ; for 

 better distribution of the fish caught ; for scientific research and for codifi- 

 cation and simplification of the unnecessarily complex fishery legislation 

 were drafted and printed. More interesting still, a plan for the creation, by 

 Royal Charter, of a British Fisheries Society was made ; a petition was 

 drawn up and steps were taken to raise the necessary money. The enthusiasm 

 with which the industry plunged into reconstruction may be recalled when one 

 notes that they confidently expected to be represented, in some way, at the 

 Peace Congress, and also that it was actually suggested that the Island of 

 HeUgoland should be internationaUsed and made the centre of a European 

 fishery research organisation. All these plans and thought-out proposals 

 deserved a better fate. 



For they were all unsuccessful. Little by little the activities of the 

 Ministry, in respect to fisheries, have sunk to rather below the pre-war 

 standard, both with regard to development and research. The money for 

 the endowment of the British Fisheries Society was not forthcoming. Educa- 

 tion and research became rather more poorly ofE than they were in 1913, 

 Nothing was said about fisheries at the Peace Conference, and Heligoland is 

 become a trippers' resort. By the end of 191 9 wholly unexpected difficulties 

 crowded about the fishing industries, and the entire efiorts of the owners 

 were soon concentrated on keeping their business going. Even now fish are 

 dear in the shops and, every week or so, quite unsaleable at the docks. To 

 explain this paradox would involve one in debatable economic questions 

 which would certainly disturb the scientific calm of this Journal ! But this 

 comes out of reflection on the experiences of 1917-1919 : bitter disillusionment 

 with regard to our methods of government and industry. 



The author of the book now being reviewed must surely be the most 

 *' fed-up " of all those who took part in the fishery reconstruction movement ! 

 He arranged the long series of meetings and conferences that were held at 

 Fishmongers' Hall between the representatives of the English and Scottish 

 industries on the one hand, and the scientists on the other. He was 

 Organising Secretary for the British Trawlers' Federation. It is quite proper 

 to say that the owners of fishing vessels paid him ;^i,ooo a year — because 

 that shows their sincerity and earnestness in the attempt to build up a recon- 

 structed fishing industry. He was the provisional Secretary of the stillborn 

 British Fisheries Society. He and his committees put an enormous amount 

 of work into their efiorts to replace the present patchwork of fishery authori- 

 ties by something rational and obviously made. These committees were 

 composed of men who had big interests and whose time was valuable (Sir 

 Edward Busk, for instance, was their chairman), and their efforts deserved a 

 better fate. It is believed that the Fishery Departments and the Government 

 were dimly aware of their existence and reports, but the belief lacks con- 

 viction. 



This book is the outcome of Captain Howell's propagandist work. It is 

 a plain and, on the whole, accurate presentation of the salient things in the 

 life-history of the British sea-fisheries ; written with a clearly indicated 

 attitude and purpose — ^to bring together the business and scientific men. 

 That is its message, suggested or even insisted upon on every other page. It 

 is up-to-date, very plainly written, and very beautifully printed and illustrated. 

 Primarily it is intended for the men in the industry, but it has very obvious 

 interest for naturahsts and professional zoologists. Just now it is difficult 

 to say what is going to become of the British deep-sea fishing industry : that 



