22 BRITISH FISHERIES 



was a superior one, and the public benefited in the 

 supply of abundant and cheap food. But disputes 

 arose, and the State had to interfere and prohibit 

 the use of the seine-net in these narrow waters. 

 There were, of course other motives underlying 

 the repressive Trawling Acts, but it was this con- 

 sideration (the public peace) that had led to the 

 retention of the prohibition of seine-netting in 

 Upper Loch Fyne ; and to this day, and on that 

 account alone, drift-netting is the only method of 

 catching herring which is permitted there. 



Then, interference with the conduct of fisher- 

 men on the high seas, however undesirable in 

 itself it may be, becomes highly necessary when 

 numbers of vessels and men belonging to different 

 nationalities, and perhaps employing different 

 gear, are fishing in proximity to each other. 

 Accidents in such circumstances are apt to occur, 

 and the consequent disputes and risks of disturb- 

 ance, and the difficulty and delay in obtaining 

 redress in foreign law-courts, can be minimised 

 by proper regulations and supervision. The series 

 of international conventions to which I shall 

 refer later on have been drawn up with this end 

 in view. 



But it was also asserted that some methods of 

 fishing were destructive and wasteful. Every 

 fisherman is inclined to assert this about every 

 other kind of fisherman. In local agitations it is 

 nearly always asserted that some other kind of 



