354 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 



the fishing ground wliere tiiere are lierring shoals, the 

 small fishing boats belonging to this country are fairly 

 driven off by the greater size of the fishing ships and the 

 heavier nets, against which the fishermen have no re- 

 medy unless there is constant permanent strong protec- 

 tion on the spot, under a naval officer, assisted by the 

 fishery officer. We have been informed, that at a certain 

 and important locality, where the shoals usually appear, 

 there have been watchmen from the larger ships sent on 

 shore and placed on the headlands adjacent, to give notice 

 by signals, so that they may have time to leave the in- 

 vaded boundary line before the approaching Government 

 steamer comes near. This alone proves the necessity of 

 the fishermen having local and continuous protection ; 

 but such protection is necessary in some places where 

 there is no fishery officer, to act as a controlling in- 

 fluence among the fishermen generally. For instance, 

 some time since, we read the following paragraph, as ap- 

 plicable to Killybegs in Ireland : — " The want of law is 

 " more evident than ever ; everything injurious to the 

 " fishery is practised, such as shooting nets by day, vessels 

 " sailing through the nets, breaking nets, and cutting away 

 " nets. Surely such a source of great wealth should 



" HAVE SOME PROTECTION." 



8. Those vessels wliich, after gutting tlie lierrings on 

 board, throw the refuse into the sea, ought not to be per- 

 mitted to fish wliere there are herring shoals ; and this 

 law ought to be enforced by the Dutch Government 

 (whose fishing vessels cure on board), which might order 

 that the portions taken out of the herring at gutting be 

 barrelled up for use, for the purpose of making oil, or 

 for manure, or for both purposes. The herring is very 

 capricious, and we have before stated instances where the 



