36 



and he hoped the question would be brought before Parlia- 

 ment, for he had heard the Chairman himself say it was the 

 duty of Parliament to take it up. Notwithstanding every- 

 thing that had been said, he contended that the fisheries 

 were decreasing. Even though a million barrels of herrings 

 might be collected to-day, and at the beginning of the 

 century only a quarter that number were taken, it would not 

 follow there were any more fish. It was the reverse ; 

 because the fishermen had to go further to get them and to 

 employ ten times the amount of wealth and ability, and a 

 hundred times the appliances which were formerly applied, 

 lie contended that until some means were instituted by 

 which fish could come nearer to the coast to carry out the 

 laws of nature in reproducing their species they would be 

 gradually exterminated. He knew of no kind of fish which 

 did not come nearer the coast when laying eggs than at any 

 other times. They were out in the far depths of the 

 ocean feeding, but w'hen spawning-time came they ap- 

 proached the shore and protected places ; and if man by 

 his greed was determined to kill these poor creatures, the 

 authority of Parliament ought to step in and prevent it. 

 If such a course were not pursued, before half a century the 

 larger proportion of fish which now frequented the coast 

 would be destroyed, and none would be found at all. In 

 Canada there were large expanses of water, 200.to 300 miles 

 in length, in which the fish had been nearly exterminated. 

 He thought the idea of a National Society was a good one, 

 but they should go farther, and apply to the Government of 

 the country to establish some department which should en- 

 courage the fishing industry by protection and propagation. 

 Professor BROWN GOODE had great pleasure, in pro- 

 posing a vote of thanks to Mr. P'ryer, who was to be 

 congratulated for more reasons than one upon his Paper. 



