March 27, 18 90 J 



NATURE 



499 



Germany, likewise, has no special central or chief authority 

 for the management of the fisheries. The Empire has no right 

 of control or even of cognizance of the fisheries. The State, 

 however, gives annually a small sum to the German Fisheries 

 Union (Fresh-water Fisheries). The control and management of 

 the fisheries is therefore a matter for the different States which 

 form the Empire. All these (Prussia included) have Inspectors 

 of Fisheries \()berfisckmeister) and master-fishers {Fischmeister), 

 but their duty only relates to the fiscal interests of the States 

 and the rigorous observance of the fishery laws. They also give 

 directions to the fishermen concerning the use of new and 

 suitable fishing apparatus. 



The control of the fresh-water fisheries of Prussia is vested in 

 the Minister for Agriculture, Woods, and Forests, but there is 

 no special Board for Fisheries. The various questions are 

 worked up by clerks as they arise, as also is the preparation of 

 Bills for the Prussian Chambers. In like manner the provincial 

 control, the district {Regieriing) control, and the Kreiss or 

 •county control, are carried out respectively by the Oberprasi- 

 dent, the Regierungs Priisident, and the Landrath. 



The Deutsche P isherei Verein, of which Herr von Behr is 

 -chairman, is an independent association. It receives occa- 

 sionally money grants from the Prussian Minister from a fund 

 voted by the Prussian Chambers, and a regular grant, 

 amounting at present to ;^i50O a year, from the German Parlia- 

 ment, towards the encouragement of fish-breeding throughout 

 ■Germany. 



Prussia for a series of years has had at Kiel a Commission for 

 scientific researches in the German seas. It consists of four 

 members, viz. a zoologist, a botanist, a physiologist, and a 

 physicist. The present members are Professors in the University 

 of Kiel, and Prof. Mobius (zoologist) is chairman. This Com- 

 mission is placed under the control of the Ministry of Agricul- 

 ture, and from that body it receives annually a sum of 9600 

 marks (^480) for general and personal expenses. The Commis- 

 sion publishes meteorological observations, statistics of the 

 fisheries on the Baltic stations, and reports on scientific 

 researches. 



Much valuable work has been accomplished by this Commis- 

 sion in regard to the life-histories and development of fishes 

 and the pelagic animals of the Baltic. Amongst other recent 

 suggestions is one regulating the saleable size of certain fishes in 

 special localities, e.g. the salmon and salmon-trout being fixed 

 at 19^ and 11 inches respectively, the flounder at 6 inches, and 

 the plaice at 7. 



The Fishery Board of the Nethedands (Collegie voor de 

 Zeevisscherijen) is composed of fifteen members, one of whom is 

 president, and a secretary, who is not actually a member. All 

 are nominated by the Crown, and the president out of a leet of 

 two drawn up by the Board itself. The president and secretary 

 form a kind of standing Committee by whom the every-day 

 business is managed. All important affairs, however, have to 

 come before the meetings of the Board, of which there are at 

 least two yearly, viz. one in summer and one in winter. Very 

 often the meetings are more numerous. 



The majority of the members must be free from any direct 

 interest in the fishing trade or the fisheries industries. The 

 minority may, on the contrary, represent such interests. 

 Actually the minority is composed (i) of a specialist for the 

 herring- fishery — a great shareholder and head of a large fishing 

 firm ; (2) a member for the line-fishing ; (3) one for the oyster 

 industries ; (4) one for the salmon and fresh-water fisheries ; 

 (5) one for the herring and cod fisheries ; and (6) one for the 

 fisheries of the Zuyder Zee. 



Further, there are on the Board one shipowner and ship- 

 builder ; one naval officer ; several lawyers, several local 

 authorities ; and two zoologists.^ 



The members receive no salary — only their travelling ex- 

 penses. Whenever a question is laid before the Board either 

 by Government or at its own invitation, the President selects a 

 special committee of three or five members to study, discuss it, 

 and to draw up a report, which is then circulated, and after- 

 wards, if necessary, discussed and voted about. All questions 

 concerning fishery legislation are thus brought before the Board, 

 and generally settled according to its advice. 



There is a yearly grant (dating back, however, only a few 



This account does not quite correspond with the view published by 

 the Fishery Board in their Sixth Annual Report, Part III., p. 305, for it 

 is theie stated that in Holland ''There is a Stale Commission for Sea 

 Fisheries, chiefly composed of naturalists and scientific men." 



years) of about ^^250 for experiments on the fishing indus- 

 tries, fish-culture, &c. Another ;^iooo are yearly devoted to 

 salmon-culture, this sum being disbursed to the most successful 

 fish-culturists at the rate of i,d. for a salmon a year and a half 

 old (smolt), and two-fifths of a penny for one a few months 

 old (parr). If the number of parr offered exceeds the sum 

 which is available after the full value has been paid for the 

 smolts, the culturists must either acquiesce in a reduction of 

 price or keep their fishes. One or more members of the Board 

 are always present when the fishes are set free into the rivers. 



Since 188 1 certain legal restrictions have been made with regard 

 to the fisheries of the Zuyder Zee, and a staff of police organized 

 on the inland sea, the chief officer being directly under the 

 orders of the President of the Board. The same is the case 

 with the police on part of the oyster territories. Those in Zea- 

 land have been, since the fresh start in 1870, under a special 

 local I5oard. 



In Italy the affairs relating to the fisheries are managed by 

 the Minister of Agriculture, &c. The Minister nominates a 

 Central Committee of twenty-four members. These consist of 

 scientific men, magistrates, persons industrially interested in the 

 fisheries, and some members of the Legislature (M.P. 's). Twelve 

 members are elected or reappointed every year. The meetings 

 of this Committee do not take place at certain fixed periods, but 

 only by invitation of the Minister, who submits to the Committee 

 the material to be discussed. 



Besides the Central Committee there are a series of local Com- 

 mittees throughout the kingdom. These consist of the Captain 

 of the Port, a zoologist, and technically experienced men. Their 

 term of office lasts for three years from the date of appointment. 

 The Regulation is published in the Annali dcW Industtia, 

 1882, by the Ministry of Agriculture, Direzione dell' Industria 

 e Commercio. 



The duties of these local Committees are as follow : — 



(i) To study and to propose all new regulations rendered 

 necessary by experience. 



(2) To collect the material for annual statistics. 



(3) i'o give, on the demand of the Government, the Provmces, 

 and the Communes, their opinion on matters directly or in- 

 directly connected with the fisheries. 



(4) To further the diffusion of the best methods of fishing and 

 the advancement of the industries connected with them. 



(5) To " render popular " the knowledge regarding the pro- 

 duction, food, and diffusion of fishes and other useful marine 

 animals. 



From d consideration of the foregoing reinarks on the Com- 

 missions, Boards, or Departments of foreign countries, it would 

 appear that a central authority composed of a single individual, 

 as in America, has certain disadvantages which can only be 

 overcome by a rare combination of scientific eminence, adminis- 

 trative skill, and unbiassed judgment. It has, moreover, been 

 a costly experiment ; and it cannot be said that the Americans — 

 even in the case of the cod— have succeeded so well as Dannevig 

 at Arendal, in Norway, with the moderate resources at his dis- 

 posal. It cannot be questioned, however, that the liberality of 

 the Government of the United States has greatly aided scientific 

 inquiry into marine life in general. Moreover, their efforts to 

 increase the fresh-water fishes are most praiseworthy, and indeed 

 in this they give us a good example, for there are still many 

 fresh-water streams and lochs that would be of great value to the 

 country if scientific fish-culture were put on a proper footing. 

 The instance of the Outer Hebrides, e.g. North Uist, is sufficient 

 in our own country. From the top of the Lee Hills the eye rests 

 on a multitude of lochs — fresh-water and salt — which seem to be 

 almost as extensive in superficial area as the shreds of land 

 between them. In many of these, trout, salmon-trout, and salmon 

 are found, so that one familiar with the agri:altural poverty of 

 these regions would not hesitate to place the cultiire of the 

 water far before that of the land in regard to remuneration. A 

 well-organized system of pisciculture in connection with these 

 lochs would effect a revolution in the financial affairs of the 

 people, and greatly supplement the food-supply for the com- 

 munity. 



The French system does not seem to offer any suggestion of 

 note in regard to the administration of the marine fisheries. 

 The early labours of M. Coste and others in the culture of trout 

 and salmon have, however, been of great service both to the 

 adjoining Continental States, tons, and to America. It must not 

 be forgotten also that M. Coste was one of those who took much 

 interest in the Stormontfield experimental station on the Tay, 



