FISHERMEN AND FISHERIES. 271 



This result may be historically traced from the following 

 facts. 



In 1860 the Glasgow fish-curers desired to enhance the 

 price of summer fish by checking the supply of fish caught 

 in the spring ; and they succeeded in passing an Act 

 (23 & 24 Viet. c. 92) whereby a close time for herrings 

 was fixed from the 1st January to the 2Oth May, between 

 Cape Wrath in Sutherland and Ardnamurchan Point ; and 

 from the ist January to the 3ist May between that Point 

 and the Mull of Galloway, in all the Scotch western waters, 

 whether territorial or not. 



Fishermen starved, and clamoured for repeal. In 1862 

 and 1864, Royal Commissions investigated their hardship, 

 and at no time was the Act of 1860 fully enforced. 



In 1865 (by 28 & 29 Viet. c. 22) the close time was 

 reduced to the period between the ist February and ist of 

 May, and limited to the western seas between Ardna- 

 murchan and Galloway Mull. 



The Fisheries Act of 1868 altogether abolished close 

 time in the deep seas ; the result of this is therefore to 

 confine the operations of the Acts of 1860 and 1865 to 

 within the three-mile limit of the territorial sea off the 

 lower half of the west Scotch coast. 



With regard to the fourth class of fish, by the Sea 

 Fisheries Act of 1868 a close time for oysters was imposed 

 within the irregular parallelogram comprising the English 

 Channel, and defined by the Land's End and the North 

 Foreland at its angles on the British side, and by Dunkirk 

 and Ushant on the French. The period extends from the 

 1 6th June to the 3 ist August, and during this time no 

 boats may carry an oyster dredge, unless it has been 

 previously sealed by the Customs House authorities in 

 order to preclude its use. 



The close time for lobsters off the Cromer coast, between 



