710 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



fish, the direct remedy for which, the Committee said, was 

 either the prohibition of the taking and killing of such fish, or 

 the prohibition of fishing within areas where small fish abound. 

 They were of opinion that the former was practically impossible 

 without prohibiting trawling altogether, while the areas where 

 the small fish congregate could only be closed by a joint inter- 

 national arrangement. The indirect remedy was that proposed 

 by the Bill, and, for reasons such as are stated above, they felt 

 it would not be expedient to pass the Bill into law without 

 further inquiry and investigation. The Committee were of 

 opinion that the subject of the diminution of the fish supply 

 was a very pressing one, and that the situation was going from 

 bad to worse, and they recommended that no effort should be 

 spared, first, to arrange for international treatment of the 

 subject generally, and especially for regulation of the North 

 Sea area ; and second, to provide for the adequate equipment 

 of the Government Departments in charge of the subject. 1 



The trawlers still pressed for legislation to deal with the 

 wasteful destruction of undersized fish, and continued to pass 

 resolutions on the subject ; 2 and another and somewhat modified 

 Bill was introduced into the House of Lords in 1904 by the 

 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and remitted to a 

 Select Committee of that House. The Committee, after taking 

 much evidence of the usual kind, stated their opinion that the 

 ideal manner of protecting the fishing-grounds in the North Sea 

 where young fish abound would be by an international agree- 

 ment between all the Powers concerned, and they expressed the 

 hope that the Government would not relax its efforts to secure 



"Your Committee feel that the subject of the diminution of the fish supply 

 is a very pressing one, and that the situation is going from bad to worse. In 

 their view, no effort ought to be spared (1st) to arrange for international treat- 

 ment of the subject generally, and especially for regulation of the North Sea area ; 

 and (2nd) to provide for the adequate equipment of the Government Departments 

 in charge of the subject, so that they may effectively pursue scientific investigation 

 and ascertain with sufficiency and precision what has been done, either in the way 

 of scientific research or in the matter of practical legislation, by other inquirers and 

 by other countries, with the view of determining whether any, and if so what, 

 legislation may be desirable to effect the objects of the Bill." Ibid., iv. 



2 E.g., " That this conference regards as conclusive the evidence of a widespread 

 diminution of the supply of food fishes in the North Sea and adjacent grounds, and 

 is of opinion that the only practicable remedy is the prevention of landing and 

 sale of immature and undersized fish." Nat. Sea Fisheries Protection Ass., 1902. 



