INTRODUCTORY. 49 



specially seek the bays or neighbourhood of the land 

 for the purpose of spawning ; that the conclusions to 

 be drawn from the investigations by Professors Sars 

 and M. Malm are entirely opposed to the idea of the 

 spawn of most of those fishes being at any time within 

 reach of injury from trawling or any other method of 

 fishing in use ; and that the two last considerations 

 tend greatly to diminish the importance of the de- 

 struction of young fish, which, however much it is to 

 be regretted, takes place more or less wherever fishing 

 is carried on. 



We can see nothing to prevent our fisheries being 

 increased beyond their present extent, so far as that 

 increase may depend on tlie general supply of fish in 

 our seas ; but their development will be regulated, as 

 in all other trades, by the cost of producing the article 

 and the price obtained for it in the market. The in- 

 crease or decrease, however, in the number of fishing 

 boats, or even, if it were possible to obtain it, in the 

 quantity of fish caught in two successive years, would 

 be no certain indication of a general improvement or 

 otherwise in the condition of the sea fisheries ; lonp-er 

 periods must be compared in order to arrive at any just 

 conclusion on the subject, for there are good and bad 

 seasons for fishing, depending on various causes ; and 

 these and other circumstances may affect the number of 

 fishermen from time to time, and their ability to keep 

 up or add to their boats. 



There may be occasion to return to some of the 

 subjects we have now been discussing, but we shall only 

 do so in the hoj^e of making our account of some of the 

 fisheries more complete and intelligible. 



We shall now proceed with a description of the 

 manner in whicli the several methods of sea fishing 



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