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a similar law in Spain is that, while at the end of last 

 century and the beginning of this, this fish was so abun- 

 dant in the rivers of the north and north-west of Spain, 

 that servants bargained with their masters that they should 

 not eat salmon more than two days a week ; the price is 

 now so high in the capital as to place it beyond the reach 

 of all but the highest grades of society, and even what is 

 there consumed comes in a great part from abroad. This 

 state of things points to the necessity of legislation, and in 

 consequence, the question of a change in the law is at present 

 under consideration by competent authorities. 



Having shown and explained the injury occasioned in 

 Spain by abuses in the fisheries, and also the necessity for 

 placing rational restrictive measures on the working, it will 

 doubtless be asked whether, owing to the extent of the 

 prejudices existing on the subject, the very fishermen for 

 whose benefit they were put forward would not ignore 

 them. Their objection has very little practical importance 

 and can easily be met. In the first place fishermen desire 

 only to have plenty of fishing and to have it at little cost. 

 In the second when they know the causes of the evil 

 it is necessary for them to employ all their energies and 

 make some sacrifice to respect the means of reproduction, 

 because if only a few abstained from joining the concourse 

 the whole thing would be a failure. If the sea could be 

 subdivided like the fields, so that each section would 

 respect reproduction and would not gather in the harvest 

 till it was ripe, there would be no need for restrictive 

 measures, but since the exploration of the deep is common 

 property there can be no remedy but such as is obtained 

 by the Government of each country. The necessity for 

 this not only interests fishermen, but is a question of the 

 food supply of nations. 



