42 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



covery of new grounds and fishing-banks, not pre- 

 viously known to exist, in the bottom of the sea. 



The Commissioners state that London alone con- 

 sumes 80,000 tons of sea-fish, not estimating salmon, 

 herrings, sprats, eels, crabs and lobsters, oysters, 

 mussels, and shrimps ; this in the aggregate greatly 

 exceeds in weight the consumption of beef in Lori- 

 pon. They further state, " The most frequented fish- 

 ing grounds are much more prolific of food than the 

 same extent of the richest land. Once in the year, 

 an acre of good land, carefully tilled, produces a ton 

 of corn; or two or three hundred pounds' weight of 

 meat, or cheese; the same area at the bottom of the 

 sea, on the best fishing-grounds, yields a greater 

 weight of food to the persevering fisherman every 

 week in the year." 



" Five vessels, in a single night's fishing, brought 

 in 17 tons of fish, an amount equal in weight to 50 

 cattle or 300 sheep. The ground which these ves- 

 sels covered, during the night's fishing, could not 

 have exceeded an area of 50 acres." 



If we estimate the annual profit of 50 acres of the 

 best land at '2 per acre, that is 100, and compare 

 this with a single night's fishing of five vessels, pro- 

 ducing 17 tons offish, at 1 a ton, say 1 19, we may 

 form some idea of the wonderful powers of produc- 

 tion of a " fish farm" at the bottom of the sea, which, 

 without any expensive tillage, produces more food in 

 one night than a similar area of the best cultivated 

 land in an entire year. 



I am not aware that any accurate calculation has 

 been formed of the annual value of the British fish- 

 eries. It is nearly certain there is yet a vast extent 

 of fishing-ground undiscovered at the bottom of the 

 sea, and of its extent it is impossible to form any ac- 

 curate estimate. 



The fishing-grounds of the deep sea, as well as the 



