18 UNDEVELOPED RESOURCES OF MARINE FISHERIES. 
salmon in our rivers has been the subject of much discussion for 
many years, and though every now and again there comes a 
season which is so much better than the preceding ones, that we 
are inclined to hope things are improving, invariably there suc- 
ceeds a series of seasons which destroy all hope of a permanent 
improvement. 
So great is the value of the salmon in our rivers that one 
would think it should be a matter for national consideration, and 
from time to time the Government has made very definite attempts 
to improve matters, and the Fishery Boards for England, Scot- 
land, and Ireland have this question very much at heart. But I 
wish to show how, under existing conditions, Governments and 
Fishery Boards are alike powerless to prevent things going from 
bad to worse. I am fully satisfied, after carefully studying the 
matter from every available point of view, that the great difficulty 
in the way of real advance is the existence on all rivers of such 
widely different interests, all centreing in this much valued but 
most unfortunate fish. 
CONFLICTING INTERESTS. 
Though I wish to deal with the subject solely from a national 
point of view it will be necessary to consider some of these con- 
flicting interests, and for our present purpose we may divide 
them into two classes—(1) Sporting interest; (2) Commercial 
interest. Now it has been the custom hitherto to discover by 
means of elaborate calculations which of these two interests is 
the most valuable to the country, and, having decided that point, 
to advocate the fostering of that particular interest with little 
regard for the other. Again, another method has been adopted 
which is, perhaps, even worse than the preceding one ; the foster- 
ing of both interests by means of concessions to each, which have 
served to embitter the feelings of both parties. If only they 
could be persuaded that their interests are identical and in no 
way conflicting, a very real advantage would have been gained in 
the right direction. As things stand, the feeling of the fisher- 
men towards the river proprietors is very bitter, and I know from 
personal observation that the feeling of the river proprietors is 
equally bitter against the fishermen. It is the old story of a 
house divided against itself, and the inevitable result. The 
fishermen claim that the salmon are worthless till they have been 
