INTEENATIOISrAL FISHERIES COMMISSION 15 



it is impossible to avoid the capture of a certain percentage of these 

 small fish, and occasionally a high percentage. If such catches were 

 to be discarded great waste would be entailed. 



To a certain extent fishing on " nurseries " or small-fish grounds 

 would be penalized. Yet when prices for fish are good, it is probable 

 that vessels would nevertheless use these grounds, culling extensively, 

 as is now frequently the case. It is, therefore, preferable to act 

 directly in the protection of these " nurseries," as is proposed below. 



Another proposed method of protecting small fish is to prohibit 

 the use of smaller-sized hooks (other than the standard No. 6283), 

 which are used with lighter lines. This matter Avas carefully investi- 

 gated by the commission in a series of experiments. It was found 

 that the small-hook gear, supposed to catch an undue proportion of 

 small fish, actually did not do so but took no larger nor smaller pro- 

 portion of small fish than did the standard gear. On the other hand, 

 the small-hook gear was more efficient, catching as much as GO per 

 cent more fish ])er unit of gear set, whether large or small fish were 

 considered. But the lighter lines are adapted to fishing in shoaler 

 water, where fishing conditions are easier and where there are now 

 greater quantities of small fish than formerly in proportion to 

 large. In deep water, and for large fish, the amount of breakage 

 was found to be high. The prohibition of this gear, therefore, be- 

 comes a possible means of penalizing the present fishery on the older 

 grounds, where the fish are mostly small. 



At present tlie commission has not ascertained the efficient element 

 in the combination, which would liave to be covered by a ''blanket "' 

 prohibition. Heavier, less flexible lines would have to be required 

 on all grounds. Yet it is entirely possible that the efficient element 

 could be adapted for use in deep-water fishing for large fish, and 

 the commission is loath to block the development of efficiency for its 

 own sake. If the shoaler grounds are to be fished at all, and, indeed, 

 if the halil)ut fishery in geneial is to be carried on, it would seem 

 the part of reason that it should be done with efficiency and that the 

 amount taken should be limited in a direct fashion, as has already 

 been proposed. 



The use of the Muall-iiook gear is. moicover, a relatively recent 

 matter. As with the " nurseries," prohibition of its use is a pre- 

 ventive of future additional ills and not for those which have al- 

 ready injured the fishery. Its prohibition can not suffice in itself to 

 meet all of the existing conditions, the extent of its effect can not 

 easily be foretold, and the great increase of the fishery could proceed 

 unchecked along i)revious lines. It partakes of the disadvantages 

 of indirect economic restrictions, whicli must, in the end, be justified 

 by the amount of restriction in total catch they impose, a method 

 regarded undesirable by the commission. 



In all the circumstances the commission desires to defer its recom- 

 mendation as to the use of this gear, but provision should be made 

 to prevent the use of any such gear deemed unduly destructive in the 

 light of future investigation. 



The third alternative, the closure of the young-fish grounds or 

 "nurseries,"' remains to be considered. On these areas the com- 

 mission, by means of its own fishing operations, has found that the 

 fish are actually the younger classes only. They are populated by 

 very few fish over 11 pounds in weight, the majority being well 



