PLT, 
VI. 
WET: 
Wail: 
TX. 
53 
The beam trawl is not destructive to cod or 
haddock spawn. There is no proof of injury 
to the spawn of herrings or other edible fish. 
There is no wasteful or unnecessary destruction 
of immature food fishes by the beam trawl. 
The number of fish on particular grounds. 
especially in narrow waters, may be sensibly 
diminished by the use of the beam trawl. 
The injury done by the beam trawl to the food 
of fish is insignificant. 
It has not been proved that the use of the beam. 
trawl is the sole cause of the diminution of fish 
in territorial waters. 
In the absence of a proper system of fishery 
statistics and scientific observations, it is 
impossible to discover the causes or measure 
the fluctuations of the fisheries. 
Much avoidable damage has been done to drift 
nets and haddock lines, particularly by steam 
trawlers. 
Peculiar difficulties attend the recovery by 
fishermen of compensation under the Sea 
Fisheries Act, or of civil damages. 
RECOMMENDATIONS. 
In consequence of these conclusions and of other 
facts brought before us in the course of our inquiry, we 
submit the following recommendations to Your Majesty: 
1G 
I. 
That a central authority be created to supervise 
and control the fisheries of Great Britain, 
if. sot of the. United «Kinodom, and ‘thativa 
sum of money be annually granted to such 
authority for the purpose of conducting 
scientific experiments and for collecting fishery 
statistics. 
That in the meantime powers be given to the 
Scotch Fishery Board similar to those of the 
