LANCASHIRE AND WESTERN SEA FISHERIES COMMITTEE. Fil 
For the protection of shell-fish laid down for breeding purposes. 
For requiring the re-deposit in specified localities of any shell-fish, the removal of 
which is prohibited by or in pursuance of any Act of Parliament. 
The bye-laws made by Sea Fisheries Committees are subject to confirmation by the 
Board of Trade, and their operation is confined to Sea Fisheries Districts, which are limited 
to that part of the sea within which His Majesty’s subjects have by International Law the 
exclusive right of fishing, and which is locally known as the territorial waters within the 
three mile limit. This does not, however, necessarily mean only three miles from the coast in 
all cases, as the distance is measured from low-water mark of the dependent islands and 
banks ; and as regards bays, the distance of three miles is measured from a straight line drawn 
across the bay in the part nearest the entrance, where the width does not exceed ten miles ; 
and the miles mentioned are geographical miles, whereof sixty make a degree of latitude. 
Before drafting the first code of bye-laws, the Committee held public inquiries at the 
principal fishing centres in the District, and took the views of the fishermen, and upon these 
views the bye-laws were based. From time to time alterations have been made, or additional 
bye-laws drafted ; but it has always been the practice of the Committee to first ascertain the 
views of the fishermen, and when objections to bye-laws have been made, the Board of Trade 
has held inquiries into the objections before confirming the bye-laws. In all, six public 
inquiries have been held during the last ten years by the Board of Trade with regard to the 
bye-laws of this District. 
Briefly the bye-laws now in force enact :—That only nets which have meshes which will 
allow of the escape of small fish may be used. A certain area off Blackpool is closed against 
the use of seine, draft, trawl, bow, hand, hose, shank, stake, or otter nets. The size of crabs, 
lobsters, mussels, cockles, oysters, allowed to be removed from a fishery is regulated. No 
berried lobster or berried edible crab may be taken. The forms and sizes of nets and other 
instruments are regulated, also the method of using them, and the places and times where 
they may be used. A close time for mussels and sparling is enforced. And, finally, steam 
trawling within the District is forbidden. 
Although, as previously mentioned, the fishermen asked for legislation, a number of 
them have not thought fit to observe the regulations, and unfortunately it has been found 
necessary to institute a large number of prosecutions, the number up to the end of 1901 
amounting to 770. The Committee recognising the fact that for many years no regulations 
relating to the capture of sea fish have been enforced, have seldom asked for heavy penalties, 
and the fines imposed have in most cases been small. This may perhaps account for the large 
number of offences against the bye-laws. The number of cases, however, in which proceedings 
have been taken do not, we are afraid, by any means represent the number of infringements of 
the bye-laws. 
The original Lancashire District (see accompanying sketch chart) included the fisheries 
in the territorial waters lying off the coast from Cumberland to Hilbre Island in Cheshire. In 
1894 the district was extended to Rhos Point (as shown in sketch chart), the western extremity 
of Denbighshire, which was the northern boundary of the Western Sea Fisheries District. 
Since the amalgamation last year (1900) the Committee has been enlarged, and the 
number of members is now as follows :— 
Representatives of the following counties :—Lancashire 8, Cheshire 2, Flintshire 1, 
Denbighshire 1, Carnarvonshire 2, Anglesey 2, Merionethshire 2, and Cardi- 
ganshire 2, 
