﻿151 
  

  

  one 
  recognized 
  the 
  necessity 
  when 
  considered 
  in 
  the 
  abstract. 
  

   I 
  have 
  seen 
  numbers 
  of 
  dredgers 
  at 
  work 
  and 
  the 
  police 
  boat 
  

   cruising 
  among 
  them, 
  and 
  this 
  was 
  during 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  

   August, 
  when, 
  if 
  at 
  any 
  time, 
  the 
  oysters 
  should 
  have 
  been 
  

   free 
  from 
  disturbance. 
  Before 
  deciding 
  upon 
  the 
  measure 
  of 
  

   protection 
  to 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  beds, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  well 
  again 
  to 
  see 
  

   what 
  has 
  been 
  accorded 
  by 
  foreign 
  governments, 
  and 
  with 
  

   what 
  success. 
  On 
  the 
  Schleswig-Holstein 
  banks 
  the 
  " 
  close 
  

   time" 
  is 
  from 
  the 
  9th 
  of 
  May 
  to 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  October; 
  no 
  oys- 
  

   ters 
  less 
  than 
  two 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  inches 
  in 
  length 
  are 
  removed 
  at 
  

   any 
  time. 
  The 
  law 
  is 
  enforced, 
  and 
  still 
  thft 
  beds 
  are 
  dete- 
  

   riorating. 
  In 
  Ireland 
  the 
  " 
  close 
  time 
  " 
  is 
  from 
  May 
  1st 
  to 
  

   September 
  1st, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  localities 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  from 
  the 
  

   1st 
  of 
  April 
  and 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  March 
  until 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  October 
  

   and 
  the 
  1st 
  November. 
  It 
  is 
  unlawful 
  to 
  dredge 
  or 
  have 
  in 
  

   possession 
  any 
  oysters 
  or 
  oyster 
  brood 
  during 
  the 
  " 
  close 
  time." 
  

   The 
  Inspector 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  can 
  call 
  a 
  meeting 
  of 
  interested 
  

   persons 
  to 
  decide 
  upon 
  a 
  change 
  of 
  " 
  close 
  time." 
  Inspec- 
  

   tors 
  are 
  empowered 
  to 
  permit 
  the 
  planting 
  of 
  oysters 
  and 
  

   to 
  prohibit 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  dredgers 
  on 
  board 
  any 
  boat 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  close 
  time. 
  The 
  coast 
  guard 
  and 
  constabulary 
  are 
  

   empowered 
  to 
  enforce 
  the 
  laws, 
  and 
  violators 
  are 
  suitably 
  

   punished. 
  The 
  deep 
  sea 
  fisheries 
  for 
  oysters 
  in 
  the 
  English 
  

   Channel 
  are 
  governed 
  by 
  rules 
  adopted 
  by 
  England 
  and 
  

   France. 
  The 
  close 
  time 
  is 
  from 
  the 
  16th 
  of 
  June 
  to 
  the 
  31st 
  

   of 
  August. 
  Any 
  boat 
  having 
  a 
  dredge 
  or 
  other 
  implement 
  

   used 
  for 
  tating 
  oysters 
  during 
  that 
  time 
  is 
  considered 
  as 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  violated 
  the 
  law. 
  Competent 
  courts 
  of 
  each 
  country 
  have 
  

   power 
  to 
  punish 
  offenders, 
  and 
  the 
  cruisers 
  of 
  each 
  nation 
  

   power 
  to 
  enforce 
  the 
  law, 
  which 
  is 
  strictly 
  observed 
  by 
  the 
  

   French 
  fishermen 
  and 
  frequently 
  violated 
  by 
  the 
  English. 
  

   In 
  France 
  the 
  oyster 
  beds 
  are 
  protected 
  by 
  stringent 
  and 
  

   effective 
  laws, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  briefly 
  stated 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  The 
  

   government 
  assumes 
  control 
  over 
  all 
  oyster 
  banks 
  and 
  fore- 
  

   shores. 
  As 
  occasion 
  may 
  seem 
  to 
  require, 
  an 
  entire 
  bank 
  or 
  

   part 
  of 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  reserved 
  from 
  dredging 
  for 
  a 
  certain 
  time, 
  

   decided 
  by 
  the 
  local 
  commission. 
  The 
  general 
  practice 
  seems 
  

   to 
  be 
  to 
  buoy 
  off 
  a 
  third 
  or 
  fourth 
  of 
  a 
  bank 
  each 
  year, 
  which 
  

  

  