FISHERY LAWS 125 



people in France who live by the petty coast fisheries : 

 what is to become of them ? " The reply is simple. 

 It is enough to point out that these people are prepar- 

 ing, with no profit to any one, a future of poverty for 

 themselves, and that sooner or later they will have to 

 find other occupations. Is it not more reasonable that 

 they should look to the sea-fisheries, to the merchant 

 marine, and to agriculture for the bread which they will 

 very soon lack ? Then, moreover, they will not all be 

 affected ; for if the number of petty fishers diminishes 

 the number of fish taken by each will increase. And 

 there are certain species of fish which are regarded as a 

 luxury, such as the sole and the turbot, which people 

 prefer to eat absolutely fresh, almost as they come from 

 the water, so that these will always be best sought for 

 near the shore. 



Moreover, the prohibition of destructive gear should 

 be supplemented by a close inspection of the fish taken 

 to the markets. The decree of 1862 (Art. 3, n) enacts 

 as much ; but the method of measurement thereby 

 indicated is rather awkward. Instead of measuring the 

 length of the fish from the eye to the root of the tail, it is 

 quicker to measure from the tip of the mouth to the end 

 of the tail fin. M. Gourret, who favours this method, 

 has published a very complete list of minimum sizes : 

 that is, of the sizes of each species at the moment when 

 its sexual organs are sufficiently developed to permit of 

 reproduction. The pellucid aphya or nonnat (the Aphyes 

 pellucida or small goby one of the constituents of 

 poutina) is adult when it attains a length of i inch ; 

 the atherine is adult at 2 J inches ; the wrass at 2 J inches ; 

 the flounder at 3 J ; the anchovy at 4 ; the red mullet 

 and sardine at 4^ ; the sole at 5^ ; the caplin, brill and 

 turbot at 5^ ; the grey mullet and the shad at 6^ ; the 



