ADMINISTRATION OF THE FISHERIES ACT. 43 



the way, and hindered the enactment of amended laws for 

 the fisheries, w^hich are therefore still being worked under 

 enactments, the lines of which were, for the most part, deter- 

 mined so far hack as 1881. The Pisheries Commissioners, 

 also alive to the necessity for amended legislation, appended 

 to their report for 1890 a Bill to regulate the Pisheries and 

 Oyster Eisheries of the Colony, which had been prepared for 

 their consideration by the Chief Inspector of Pisheries. In 

 submitting the Bill to the Colonial Secretaiy, the Commis- 

 sioners claimed that it avoided all the difficulties and incon- 

 gruities which, in their administration of the existing law, 

 they had found to exist. In the Bill larger power is taken 

 for making regulations to suit circumstances as they arise, 

 also to lease tidal waters for fishing purposes ; and in respect 

 to net and line fisheries, it proposes many provisions which 

 experience has shown to be necessary. It then proceeds to 

 the regulation of the oyster fisheries on entirely new lines ; 

 this part of it, however, will be specially referred to in the 

 chapter relating to that subject. It is not known vrhether 

 consideration has been given by the Government to this Bill ; 

 but until it or some kindred measure shall have been passed 

 into law, it is hopeless to expect that the fisheries can possibly 

 attain that importance and prominence v/hich the natural 

 conditions surrounding them would seem to make possible. 



