78 SALT-WATER FISHES 



and Norwegian Governments concurred in this extension of 

 " territorial " waters, for fishing purposes at any rate, we should 

 simply debar our own fishing fleets from the harvests of waters 

 which foreign fishermen would continue to gather for their own 

 benefit. 



III. A statutory increase in the mesh of the trawl looks at 

 first sight a perfectly reasonable and effectual remedy for the 

 evil of catching undersized fish, and it has long attracted many 

 who take a theoretical interest in the protection of our fisheries, 

 and even some few of a more practical turn. It looks so 

 simple. The trawl, as at present constructed, catches not only 

 large plaice, but also very small ones, of no use for the market. 

 If, then, the law provides for a minimum size of mesh, it may 

 be possible to allow of the smallest fish escaping unhurt. So 

 indeed it might, but for the peculiar behaviour of cotton meshes 

 when subjected to the great strain of being towed in a stiff 

 breeze through the water. If the net were of wire, with rigid 

 meshes, then this provision might possibly go some way towards 

 remedying the evil. Unfortunately, however, it has been 

 found that the square or oblong mesh assumes, under the 

 immense strain and pressure, a parallelogram of very different 

 form, its sides drawn much closer together, so that, however 

 large the original mesh, within practicable limits, the small fish 

 would have very little more chance of escape. With a very 

 large mesh, such as has been used in certain scientific experi- 

 ments, it might conceivably be possible to let most of the 

 undersized flat-fish go free, but the mesh would have to be of 

 such size that many of the mature examples of some fish would 

 be lost as well, and such a statute would be too serious a 

 handicap to the trawler to admit of its being entertained for a 

 moment. 



IV. The prohibition of the landing or sale of either under- 

 sized or immature flat-fish seems, on the whole, the most 

 reasonable suggestion that we have yet considered. Yet it is 

 not less objectionable, on at least two counts, than those that 



