222 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 



is chimerical, and cannot be seriously entertained in these days. 

 All the naval resources of Britain would scarcely be adequate 

 to patrol the vast " spawning areas " round our shores, just 

 as the few gunboats and cruisers are insufficient in an area so 

 limited as the Moray Frith. Besides, there are limits in regard 

 to expenditure, and to the patience of the public, though there 

 may be no defined boundary to a " spawning area." 



A much more effective method of protecting the fishing- 

 grounds, if such were necessary, would be to limit the number 

 of steam -trawlers, sailing-trawlers and other fishing boats. But 

 while such might be possible in our own country, it would be 

 extremely difficult, if not impossible, to control other nations in 

 this respect. 



The result of the closure of the great area included within 

 three miles beyond the Mull of Can tyre, and a similar distance 

 beyond Corsewall Point on the west coast of Wigtownshire, 

 gives no other result than that taught by the three foregoing 

 experiments. No accumulation of food-fishes, no general 

 increase in their size and no alteration of the ways of nature 

 have been effected by the interference of man in this respect. 



Thus the great labour and very considerable expenditure 

 during at least ten years prove that the balance of nature in 

 the neighbouring seas is steadily maintained, and that so far as 

 facts go there need be no anxiety concerning the continuance 

 of every species of food-fish. 



It is true that in some quarters attempts to minimise the 

 advice of science are made on the plea that science is not 

 practical, but whether this refers to the experience gained from 

 the sale of fishes and shell-fishes on land, or minute acquaintance 

 with their capture at sea, is not clearly stated. The first 

 alternative need not concern us, and the last will give its 

 believers little satisfaction. No class dealing with fishes has 

 probably a more intimate, or more extensive acquaintance with 

 what is, and has been landed by fishermen on our shores and on 

 other shores, with the statistics bearing on this subject, and the 

 reliance to be placed on them, than the scientific investigator 

 in the department. He is familiar with the manipulations 

 of liner, trawler, net- fishing of every kind, and other methods of 



