1[5J THE LONDON FISHERIES EXHIBITION. 321 



Fisheries," including all matters relating- to their protection and regu- 

 lation. This would deal with home legislation, lights to be carried by 

 fishing-boats, &c.; regulations for trawlers would also be included. The 

 fishermen have gone so far as to propose to petition Parliament to abol- 

 ish trawling altogether. Mr. Barclay, in addressing his constituents at 

 Broughty Ferry, has showed that London and our other large towns 

 were mainly dependent on the trawlers for supplies of fresh fish. He 

 says that in London nine-tenths of the fish were trawled, but since 1866 

 the trawlers have gone on increasing in number, and the proportion of 

 trawled fish that finds its way to the market must be still greater than 

 that referred to by the commissioners. Most of the trawlers now use 

 steam, and the direction we appear to be moving in is the greater appli- 

 cation of steam power to all branches of our fishery industry. There is 

 ian important consideration which seems to have escaped the attention 

 of those who advocate the abolition of trawling. They seem to over- 

 look the fact that any regulations made by our Government are only 

 I binding within territorial waters, i. e., within 3 miles of the shore. Sup- 

 posing trawling abolished, or a close time for trawlers established, with • 

 out an international convention the law could only be put in force 

 against our own fishermen. This would simply be an inducement to 

 Frenchmen, Dutchmen, and Norwegians to come and fish oft our coast 

 3 miles from the land, and supply fish to London and other large towns 

 after our own fishermen had been driven from the ground. At the same 

 time I am decidedly of oiiinion that trawling should be carried on in a 

 manner as little hurtful as possible to drift and line fisliermen. The sea 

 fisheries act of 1868, which was passed after we had entered into a con- 

 vention with France, making th'e act binding on both nations, provides, 

 "Trawl boats shall not commence fishing at a less distance than 3 miles 

 from any boat fishing with drift-nets. If trawl boats have already shot 

 their nets they must not come nearer to boats fishing with drift-nets 

 than the distance above mentioned." Clause XIII. of the act protects 

 line fishermen, as it is deemed an offense against the act if any one 

 causes damage to the property of another sea-fishing boat. In 1881 

 another act was passed, entitled the "Clam and bait beds act."' This 

 gives the board of trade power, by provisional orders, to protect bait 

 beds (within 3 miles of the shore) from injury by beam trawls. The 

 order may be obtained on the application of the fishermen through a 

 justice of the peace, a town council, or a rural sanitary authority. But 

 there is another charge brought against trawlers ; it is said they iujure 

 the fisheries by capturing immature fish, and that they destroy the 

 spawn of fish. On this point the sea fisheries commissioners speak 

 very decidedly. They say: " There is no evidence to show that trawl- 

 ing has permanently diminished the supply of fish from any trawliug 

 ground, but that there is proof to the contrary," and " we have sought 

 in vain for any proof that the trawl brings up and destroys the spawn 

 of fish." Another suggestion is that the mesh of the net used by trawl 

 H. Mis. 67 21 



