THE SELECT COMMITTEE OF 1893 65 



what an extent legislative restriction in the case of 

 the sea-fisheries may be contemplated. Professor 

 M'Intosh suggested that one-quarter of the whole 

 North Sea should be closed alternately against all 

 forms of fishing, except perhaps herring fishing, 

 leaving the other three-quarters open. 1 It need 

 hardly be stated that this proposal did not com- 

 mend itself to the Committee. 



The further history of this undersized fish agita- 

 tion may be stated at once. The Select Committee 

 did not adopt the size limits suggested by the 

 National Sea-Fisheries Protection Association ; 

 but, feeling that the limits which ought to be 

 adopted in this country should approximate to 

 those in force abroad, they suggested that 8 inches 

 for soles and plaice, and 10 inches for brill and 

 turbot, should be the sizes in question. They also 

 recommended " that a strong effort should be made 

 to secure the adoption of uniform regulations for 

 limits of size and other matters by the nations 

 interested in the North Sea fisheries." Now, there 

 is no evidence that any effort was ever made to 

 obtain this international agreement, and certainly 

 no government ever attempted to legislate on the 

 lines suggested by the Committee. For years the 

 promoters of the Immature Fishes Bill endeavoured 

 to secure its passage into law, and were unsuccess- 

 ful. In 1900, however, the Bill made some 



1 Report of the Select Committee on the Sea- Fisheries, 1893, Question 

 3495- 



