CHAPTER VIII 

 FISHERY PROBLEMS 



I. Local distribution of fish : movements and migrations are not 

 extensive. II. The dependence of fish upon their surroundings 

 The herring of the Kattegat Miraculous catches in the 

 estuary of the Elbe. III. Comparative independence of fish 

 Defence and attack Hereditary instincts. IV. Special adapta- 

 tion The critical oceanic condition and the critical biological 

 condition The law of fishing-grounds. V. Practical conse- 

 quences of this law Experiments of the Fishery Board of Scot- 

 land Virgin grounds Matters of exploitation The fisheries 

 of the future. 



THE French mind loves generalisations ; it would rather 

 have erroneous generalisations than none at all. I shall 

 therefore attempt, I hope not too timidly, to make the 

 expected synthesis from the foregoing accumulation of 

 material. To be precise, it will be merely a summary, 

 supported by certain fresh examples of a less special 

 bearing, and followed by the general considerations 

 which arise therefrom. This chapter may be regarded 

 as the skeleton of the entire book. 



I 



The edible fish of commerce are almost entirely dis- 

 tributed over the continental plateau. They avoid the 

 oceanic abysses many thousands of feet in depth. The 

 researches of Hjort in the Norwegian Sea, of Holt in 

 the North Sea, and of the recent hauls of M. Fabre- 



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