PROTECTION OF DEEP SEA FISHERIES. 465 



tax on the consumer, as neither the catcher, buyer, merchant, 

 nor salesman can afford to bear the heavy loss. Some 

 special clauses relating to fish packages might, after due 

 consideration, be very beneficially introduced into any future 

 fishery bill to the pecuniary benefit of the consumers. 



Having now dealt with the effect of the present and Suggestions, 

 proposed legislation, it only remains to make some sugges- 

 tions for the improvement of the laws, beginning with some 

 general ones. 



First, That the Government should at once organise 

 for the whole of the United Kingdom a fisheries depart- 

 ment 



This is desirable at once, because if the present authorities 

 who have power to legislate for the fisheries go on blunder- 

 ing, especially on international questions, foreign nations as 

 well as ourselves will lose confidence in future proposals, 

 and much injury will accrue to the industry, and loss to 

 the nation. 



Special reference is here made to the want of clearness 

 in the convention of 1868 ; the ordering of cubical space, 

 and sanitary arrangements for crews of decked fishing 

 boats, which was immediately abandoned as impracticable ; 

 and the lights question, which in its various phases has 

 caused considerable unnecessary expense and annoyance to 

 owners, and which is now virtually abandoned. 



The order in council, which compelled open-coast fishing 

 boats to be lettered and numbered, in the same way as 

 large vessels (in size of the letters and numbers as well), 

 and was abandoned as useless, after causing much trouble 

 and expense to the poorest of our fishermen for several 

 years. 



The law which compelled fishing vessels' crews to be 

 shipped under an agreement for a home trade ship, and 



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