316 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



January, which became free to the fishermen. By sub- 

 sequent legislation (the Sea Fisheries Act, 1868) this 

 close-time has been abolished beyond the three-mile 

 limit, so that at the present time herring fishing is 

 entirely free everywhere around the British Islands 

 except within the three miles of that part of the coast 

 of Scotland which lies between Ardnamurchan Point 

 and the Mull of Galloway. Such local restrictions, 

 however, cannot be justified by anything that is known 

 of the habits of the herring, for the cause of the annual 

 fluctuation in the apparent numbers of these fish has 

 yet to be discovered. 



The hardship of the former close-time was felt in 

 various ways by the west-coast fishermen. It was 

 established for a time of year when food of any kind 

 w^as often difficult to procure in some of the islands; 

 and besides the direct advantage the fishermen were in 

 the way of obtaining by catching herrings for the use 

 of themselves and their families, the fish when in the 

 worst condition for the table, and according to the 

 Griasgow curers quite unfit for food, were in the best 

 order for the purpose of bait for cod and ling ; and they 

 are known to be one of the most attractive baits which 

 can be shown to those fishes ; so that the restriction not 

 only prevented the people from taking herrings for 

 food, but materially interfered with their catching any- 

 thing else. And whilst this law was in operation, the 

 east-coast^ fishermen were free to fish when they pleased; 

 it was only on the western side there was any close-time ; 

 and hence arose a feeling of being unjustly dealt with, 

 which even among the orderly and peace-loving inha- 



1 A Bill was introduced into Parliament during the past session to establish 

 II weekly close-time for the herring tishery on the Scotch coast generally; but 

 it fortunately did not meet with ap[)roval, and was withdrawn. 



