V. THE CONSTITUTION AND WORK OF THE LANCASHIRE 

 AND WESTERN SEA FISHERIES COMMITTEE. 



i. CONSTITUTION AND OBJECTS. 



The remarks in this chapter refer principally to the work of the Lancashire Sea 

 Fisheries Committee, as it was not until last year (1900) that the two Fisheries Committees, the 

 Lancashire and the Western, were amalgamated, and previously to that our work was entirely 

 with the Lancashire Committee. 



The Lancashire Sea Fisheries Committee was constituted in 1890, and consisted of the 

 following- 64 members : 



Representatives of the Lancashire County Council... ... ... ... ... 12 



One representative each from the Cheshire and Cumberland County Councils 2 



Representatives of the County Boroughs of Lancashire and Cheshire 17 



Representatives of the Salmon Boards 5 



Members appointed by the Board of Trade ... ... ... ... ... ... 28 



The object of Sea Fisheries Committees is to protect and improve the sea fisheries, in 

 order that the fish supply to the public may be increased, or at any rate maintained,* and also 

 to protect and assist the means of livelihood of the fishermen. 



Before the constitution of Sea Fisheries Committees, fishermen fished when and where 

 they wished, used any kind of net, or size of mesh, and captured fish regardless of size or 

 condition. Laws were in force regulating the taking of oysters, game, and salmon, but none 

 to prevent the immense destruction of immature and undersized sea-fish which was daily taking 

 place, or to prevent the use of instruments and methods of fishing which, in time, would 

 destroy the fisheries. 



Amongst the first to call for legislation were the fishermen of Lancashire, and the first 

 Sea Fisheries Committee to be constituted was that of Lancashire. The prime mover in 

 effecting this was Mr. John Fell, of Ulverston, the present chairman of the Lancashire and 

 Western Sea Fisheries Committee, and who, prior to the recent amalgamation, had been 

 chairman of the Lancashire Sea Fisheries Committee from its foundation. 

 The powers given to sea fisheries committees are chiefly : 



For restricting or prohibiting, either absolutely or subject to such regulations as 

 may be provided by the bye-laws, any method of fishing for sea-fish, or the use 

 of any instrument of fishing for sea-fish. 

 For determining the size of mesh, form, and dimensions of any instrument of 



fishing for sea-fish. 

 For prohibiting or regulating the deposit or discharge of any solid or liquid 



substance detrimental to sea-fish or sea-fishing. 



For fixing the size and condition at which shell-fish, crabs, and lobsters may not 

 be removed from a fishery. 



* To give some idea of the importance of Sea Fisheries in the food supply of this country, the Board of 

 Trade returns for 1900 show that the value of fish first landed direct from the fishing grounds, including shell-fish, 

 was ^9,678,000. Of course, by the time it reached the consumer, that value would be very much increased, 



