324 KNUT DAHL. 



general deliberation, as its consequences may only be judged 

 with accuracy, when the manysided preliminary work and in- 

 vestigations have been performed by government. 



Until this has taken place, clearly the present system must 

 be fundamental to law regulations, and this I have assumed in 

 my above review of some of our leading regulations. 



Those who have attempted to study the development of 

 our salmon fisheries during the last 3 or 4 decades, will have 

 observed that a total revolution has taken place. In earlier days 

 our salmon-fisheries were principally river-fisheries. Now how- 

 ever they are mainly sea- fisheries. This developement has 

 proved to be the cause of an ever increasing struggele between 

 opposing interests. 



To begin with, the main object of our legislation was the 

 promotion of our salmon-fisheries through maintainance of the 

 supply of young fish. However during the process of the above 

 development of the fisheries, legislation has been forced in an 

 ever increasing and predominating degree to attend to the sepa- 

 rate interests of the different owners, fishermen, or bodies of 

 fishermen. 



The main and ideal object of the state, relating to salmon 

 legislation, must, in my opinion, consist in providing that no 

 disproportion arises between the fisheries and the natural pro- 

 pagation and maintenance of the species, and if possible to increase 

 the number of the species. 



Now, the struggling fishery-interests have gradually forced 

 the state to endeavour more and more to produce an equal 

 distribution of the yield and if possible allow enough fish to 

 reach the spawning beds. During the increasing fishery and the 

 increasing struggle of interests, the state has gradually had to 

 enforce regulations of great severity which considerably hamper 

 the fishing industry, as well in the rivers, as in the sea. 



There is nothing to indicate, that the evolution of the 

 later decades will not continue, and the contest between the 



