CHAPTER III 



THE TRAWLING COMMISSION 



WHEN we consider the laborious and exhaustive 

 inquiry made by the Commission of 1863, it 

 seems reasonable to suppose that the question of 

 the supposed injurious effects of trawling should 

 have been finally set at rest. This was, however, 

 far from being the case, and the reason is not 

 difficult to find. Beam-trawling was becoming 

 more extensively practised, and as no really 

 satisfactory code of sea-fisheries regulations had 

 been put in force, in spite of the recommendations 

 of 1866, collision between the various classes of 

 fishermen was still frequent, and gave rise to much 

 dispute. The effect of trawling on the spawn 

 and fry of fishes was still misunderstood, and, in 

 spite of the clear and accurate statements made 

 by the Commissioners of 1863, great misappre- 

 hension still existed with regard to this point. 

 Finally, there is no doubt that a considerable basis 

 of fact did exist for the statements made, during 

 the period we are now considering, as to the 



