178 



The very Theory of this Argument implies Differential Legislation. 



Obviously one robs the fisherman, Peter, in order to benefit 

 the other fisherman, Paul ! In order to increase the quantity 

 of medium and large plaice on the grounds frequented by the 

 smack and steam trawlers we deliberately restrict fishing on 

 the grounds frequented by the small sailing vessels. We must 

 contemplate, if our policy is to be effectively carried out, 

 curtailing the earnings of the poorer class of fishermen in order 

 to increase those of the owners of the smacks and the industrially 

 organised steam trawling fleets. Now this may be " quite all 

 right." It may be expedient that the small, unorganised, 

 individualistic, inshore industry should be sacrificed in order 

 that the highly industrialised and capitalised industry should 

 continue to make progress, and that all the world and his wife 

 should have abundant (if rather stale) plaice. It may (and we 

 like to think that it will) be the case that an organised steam 

 fishing industry should assimilate itself to the " State " in some 

 way not yet specified very clearly — for obviously differential 

 legislation that boosts the big industry, employing State services 

 for this purpose, ought to expect a quid pro quo. Now the 

 scientific calm of this discussion would evidently be broken up 

 as the result of a further development of this line of thought, 

 and so we drop it. It is sufficient to have pointed out that some 

 policy or other must be clearly stated and adopted before the 

 question of size-limits can be resolved. 



Finally we can look at the matter from a rather sordid 

 (and, therefore, thoroughly practical) point of view. Some 

 steam- trawlers fished just outside Liverpool Bar, and up 

 towards Nelson Buoy, in November of 1920 and caught 

 considerable quantities of quite small plaice. It is also said 

 that they made a lot of money.* If they had not trawled 

 there, and so avoided catching the small plaice, they would 



* See Quarterly Rept. of the Superintendent, Lancashire and Western 

 Sea-Fisheries Joint Committee. December, 1920, p. 5. 



