THE TRAWLING COMMISSION 31 



their inquiry was in progress, negotiations were 

 being dragged out, which resulted in the Inter- 

 national Convention of 1882. They recommended 

 that the powers exercised by the Home Office 

 under the Salmon Fishery Act of 1861 l in respect 

 of the fresh-water fisheries be also extended to 

 sea - fisheries, and this was done in 1886, and 

 a definite Government department, under the 

 Board of Trade, was constituted in that year, 2 

 which took some cognisance of the sea-fisheries. 

 One other recommendation was made by them, 

 and this led to an Act which is so good an 

 example of ill-considered and futile legislation 

 that I notice it here at length. Complaints had 

 frequently been made of the almost wanton de- 

 struction effected by trawlers working over shell- 

 fish beds, which were fished by the line fishermen 

 in order to obtain bait for their hooks. These 

 complaints were well founded, and the Commis- 

 sioners recommended that machinery be provided 

 to prevent this destruction. This " machinery " 

 was furnished by the Clam and Bait Beds Act 

 of 1 88 1, 3 which empowered the Board of Trade 

 to issue a Provisional Order prohibiting or re- 

 stricting trawling on any area within the territorial 

 limits, where damage might be done to clam or 

 bait beds. But, to obtain this Order, application 



1 24 and 25 Viet. c. 109 (1861). 



2 By the Act 49 and 50 Viet. c. 39 (1886). 



3 44 Viet. c. ii (1881). 



