278 THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



notices, at different places, could be brought beneath their 

 observation together, the prohibitions might possibly be 

 more efficacious than they are at present. A large propor- 

 tion of fishermen neither know nor regard the restrictions 

 which now exist, more especially those which relate to 

 " unsizeable " fish. 



It has been previously said that the State has seldom 

 interfered to regulate the rights of Fishermen as amongst 

 themselves. There are, nevertheless, exceptions. 



The protection which certain classes of fishermen have 

 claimed against other classes, is not of itself a matter of 

 fish-protection ; but it has occasionally influenced legislation 

 when it has favoured one class beyond another. Drifters 

 have more than once accused trawlers of wantonly destroy- 

 ing floating fish, but there does not appear to be any 

 substantial ground for the complaint. 



The most striking instance of class-protection in fishery 

 legislation is that contained in the sixty-eighth section of 

 the Sea Fisheries Act of 1868. Under a penalty of 20 no 

 person on the Cornish coast (except east of Trevose Head) 

 may between sunrise and sunset from the 25th of July 

 to the 25th of November, use a drift or trawl-net within 

 two miles of the shore ; nor may he anchor a boat or use a 

 net within half a mile of sean-boats fishing. This is in con- 

 firmation of the St. Ives Local Act before mentioned ; and 

 although a fixed period is named, it will be seen that this 

 favouring regulation comes within the principle of " pro- 

 tected areas " more than within that of " close-time." 



Disputes between drifters and trawlers are of long 

 standing, and still exist on Loch Fyne, where by a " trawl " 

 is meant, not the ordinary purse-shaped drag-net, but a 

 " circle " net, more like a " scan." 



It may readily be imagined that disputes amongst 



