Holt — Survey of Fishing Grounds, West Coast of Ireland. 473 



different sizes was based on their saleable qualities, and was tberefore of a purely 

 arbitrary nature, whilst as no distinct limits of size seem to have been laid down to 

 divide the saleable and unsaleable forms, the standard may have varied a little with 

 the ideas of the different Coast Guard officers who kept the records. Moreover, in the 

 published results (Reports on Trawling Experiments in Galway Bay, Dublin, 1885) 

 the depths are only given in the form of the amount of warp paid out whilst trawl- 

 ing, which is a rather unsatisfactory method, if it is desired to find out the exact depth 

 at which the various fry were taken. 



In the results of the trawling experiments carried out on the East Coast of Scot- 

 land and North-east Coast of England by Professor M'Intosh we have an extensive 

 series of the most careful and accurate observations, but in this case also the distinction 

 between mature and immature fish is designedly based upon their saleable qualities, 

 and, as pointed out in the case of several species by Professor M'Intosh, the same 

 distinction does not hold good with regard to sexual maturity. 



Following Dr. Fulton, I have alluded elsewhere to the importance of the last-named 

 point, which was, of course, not regarded in the framing of the size limits by the 

 recent Fishery Convention. 



On the West Coast of Ireland it may not seem to be very necessary to protect 

 immature fish, since at present man is so little inclined to molest them. Prevention, 

 however, is better, certainly easier, than cure ; and the rapid decline of valuable food- 

 fishi on other British coasts must surely soon attract the attention of fishermen to this 

 part of the world. Indeed the attempts at the formation of various companies to fish 

 the "West Coast are all indications that our fish will not continue to enjoy immunity 

 for much longer. The recent Fishery Convention seems to indicate that measures of 

 an international character will be attempted for the revival of the fish supply, when- 

 ever the parties concerned can agree amongst themselves as to the method best cal- 

 culated to secm-e the desired result. 



It may, therefore, be as well to recapitulate briefly the various plans which have 

 from time to time been put forward. 



Legislation has been proposed in various directions : — 



(1.) A close time for marine food fishes, usually rejected as impracticable. 



(2.) Protective legislation for young fish, which falls under two heads : {a) Legis- 

 lation as to sale, and {b) legislation as to size of mesh or hook, or nature of 

 fishing implement generally. 



(3.) Legislation as to locality. 



On the second question laws have from time to time been passed in various coun- 

 tries restricting the sale of marine fish under certain sizes, but none are now in force 

 in this country.- 



The last method is the only one now in vogue, and legislation under this heading is 

 of course always levelled at that piscatorial scapegoat — the beam trawler, and especially 

 the steam trawler. It is now generally acknowledged that of his most heinous imputed 



1 The herring forms the only exception to this. In spite of the immense annual 

 slaughter of herring and whitebait (the young of herring and sprats), the numbers 

 appear to be increasing rather than diminishing. 



2 Under the Sea Fisheries Regulation Act, 1888, certain by-laws have recently 

 been passed by the Local Fisheries Committees on various parts of the English Coast, 

 restricting the size of Mesh, and prohibiting the landing and sale of Fish under certaia 

 sizes. Similar laws are in force in Denmark, France, and Italy. 



