466 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



which was to a great extent useless and inapplicable to 

 fishing vessels. 



The way in which the Act of 1880 was drawn up and 

 passed, under which the industry has suffered so severely, 

 without including the immense loss to the nation at 

 large. 



The way in which the International Convention of 1882 

 is drawn up. 



The fishing vessel agreement sanctioned by the Board 

 of Trade in March, 1882. 



The draft of clauses proposed to be inserted m the 

 Merchant Shipping Act, 1882, which have been discussed 

 and speak for themselves. 



All these blunders could have been avoided had we, like 

 other nations, an organised fisheries department. The 

 Board of Trade, which legislates for the fisheries, has not 

 on its staff a single practical fisherman, or even any one 

 who knows the common rudiments. What would be the 

 result if a man trained as a fisherman was chosen to 

 practically advise a department on shipping matters ? 

 The reply is Blunders. The same argument then may 

 be applied vice versd. 



Second, That the laws relating to sea fisheries should 

 be kept entirely distinct from any others, except so far as 

 having one general rule of the road at sea, and its conse- 

 quences, for all classes of ships and boats, at least when 

 under weigh or under full command. 



There is a wide difference between an industry in which 

 the surface of the sea is simply used as a highway, and 

 another where the sea is used both as a highway and a 

 ground for gathering in rich harvests. In the former 

 a knowledge of surface, navigation only is required ; in the 

 latter the bottom navigation of the submarine hills, valleys, 



