IMPOVERISHMENT OF THE GROUNDS 247 



traced in the general tenor of the report. It does 

 not follow that the fish population of the sea 

 should diminish to a serious extent, in spite of 

 the enormous quantities of fish captured in fishing 

 operations. For the area of the sea is so vast, 

 its population so enormous, and the destructive 

 agencies at work in nature, irrespective of the 

 fisherman, are so great, that the operations of man 

 in reducing this population are quite insignificant. 



All three lines of evidence tended to show that 

 fishing operations, as they were carried on at the time^ 

 could not result in the deterioration of the fishing 

 grounds. 



The report of the Royal Commission of 1863 

 was reassuring, and the same is also to be said of 

 the report of a commission issued by the Home 

 Secretary (Mr Cross) in 1878. The Trawling 

 Commission of 1885 was the first inquiry in the 

 course of which evidence of deterioration was 

 discovered. The conclusions of this body were 

 not founded on statistical data. " In the absence 

 of a proper system of fishery statistics and scientific 

 observations," the Commissioners reported, " it is 

 impossible to discover the causes, or measure the 

 fluctuations of the fisheries." l The Commissioners 

 had the assistance, however, of Professor M'Intosh, 

 and from the observations of this naturalist, as well 

 as the general evidence presented, it was apparent 

 that significant changes had taken place on the 



1 Report^ Trawling Commission^ 1885, p. xliii. 



