CHAPTER XIV 



THE IMPOVERISHMENT OF THE FISHING GROUNDS 



THIS is the fundamental problem of sea-fisheries 

 administration, for upon its answer depends the 

 further question of the practical utility of restric- 

 tions on methods and seasons of sea-fishing. If 

 the fishing grounds in the seas of the British Islands 

 are, for all practical purposes, capable of much 

 more extensive exploitation than they undergo at 

 present, then it is useless to regulate the forms and 

 dimensions of fishing apparatus, the sizes at which 

 sea-fish may be captured and sold, the times at 

 which they may be taken, etc. If, on the other 

 hand, it is possible by excessive fishing so to 

 impoverish these fishing grounds that they may 

 become unprofitable to the fishermen, then some 

 degree of regulation is necessary. It must clearly 

 be understood, however, that in any case regulations 

 of a police nature are necessary, so as to ensure 

 safety of navigation on crowded fishing grounds, 

 and to prevent unwarrantable interference of one 

 class of fisherman with the operations of another. 



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