PRACTICAL FISHERMEN’S CONGRESS. 
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1883. 
EDWARD BIRKBECK, Esq., M.P., in the Chair. 
THE CHAIRMAN said he had great pleasure in opening the 
Practical Fishermen’s Conferences, and on behalf of the 
Executive Committee, of himself, and the public, he thought 
he might say that no greater interest could possibly have 
arisen in connection with these conferences than the final 
ones, which were to be discussed, as he hoped, by practical 
fishermen themselves. The subjects placed on the agenda 
were all matters of vital importance to the fishing interest, 
and to the public at large, and he proposed to take them 
in the order in which they appeared. The first was as to 
the destruction of immature fish; the second, harbour 
accommodation ; the third, better means for prevention 
of loss of life at sea; the fourth, railway rates; and 
an additional one had just been sent in, namely, the 
question of fishing vessels’ lights. All those were mat- 
ters of very great interest, and he was quite sure that 
when the time came for all ‘the unique collections which 
would be published by the executive committee, of all the 
discussions which had taken place, together with the essays 
[41] B 2 
