vi BRITISH FISHERIES 



British seas ; but this would require much more 

 space than is consistent with the intention of the 

 work. 



In Part I., I have attempted such a summary 

 of the development of modern legislation and 

 fishery authorities as may be verified in any 

 library containing a set of the Parliamentary 

 papers published during the last forty years. 

 Sea -fishery administration, in its modern sense, 

 may be said to have begun in Great Britain in 

 1863 with the appointment of the Royal Com- 

 mission of that year, and to go back further than 

 that date would be to enter into a study interesting 

 only to the antiquary. Part II. is a short account 

 of those fundamental facts of marine natural 

 history and oceanography, on the further study of 

 which rational fishery regulation must be based, 

 and of the special problems which at the present 

 time confront modern fishery authorities. 



Fishery regulations have three main objects : 

 (i) to ensure that good order may be maintained 

 among fishermen ; (2) to secure the greatest 

 possible yield from the fishing grounds at any 

 time that is compatible with the upkeep of the 

 fish supply from year to year ; and (3) to give 

 " fair play " to every class of fishermen. This 

 latter aim is not clearly expressed in fishery 

 statutes or by-laws, but it is none the less 

 apparent to anyone who observes the operation 

 of the enactments in force. It is very proper 



