46 
was happily before the present Board was established, for 
it proves that their proceedings had nothing to do with it. 
In connection with the re-appearance of the haddock, : 
however, a fact of stupendous importance has taken place, 
and a witness appeared on behalf of the poor fishermen 
whose evidence I do not think even our’ scientists can 
neglect or misinterpret. Dame Nature herself has stepped 
into the arena, and with one grand operation has flatly 
asserted and proved the Fishery Board’s ignorance of her’ 
law and methods. It must be remembered that these’ 
gentlemen have obtained all the money and all their 
powers on the assurance that if granted, so far as legisla- 
tion on'size of mesh was concerned, a very large propor- 
tion of: the fish permitted to ‘escape would grow to 
maturity, and the fishermen would again take them and 
reap a rich reward for their enforced moderation. 
The fish which these gentlemen selected as the type of 
round fish, as shown in their bottles, is the whiting, and 
they are perfectly correct in this, for undoubtedly of all 
round fish, more small whiting are caught by the trawl 
nets than anyother valuable species. It therefore follows 
that of round fish this species should have prospered 
beyond all others, and after years of waiting the fishery 
should now be established ‘on a rich and substantial basis. 
Nature has replied to that argument in-her own way.’ 
Had there been a small-increase in the large whiting 
