SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 237 



He, fui^ther, observes, " while I am opposed on the one hand 

 to the imposition of unnecessary restrictions on fishermen, so I 

 am opposed on the other to all patronage simply as such, 

 because I believe the best part of the British fishermen is 

 the independence which they enjoy; and God forbid that the 

 independence which they have won by their own efforts 

 should be taken away from them by the patronage of other 

 peopled" The same authority pointed out that the prohibition 

 of trawling in the loughs and bays of Ireland had not resulted 

 in an increase of the Irish fisheries 2. Sir Thomas Brady, 

 lately one of the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries, is of the same 

 opinion. 



In connection with Mr Walpole's views, it may be mentioned 

 that not long ago the Government gave grants to the poorer 

 fishermen to aid them in purchasing and improving their boats, 

 but it was found that this did not increase their enterprise and 

 self-reliance, and the experiment has not been continued. On 

 the other hand, no encouragement was needed by the English, 

 Scotch and Manx boats, which drew rich harvests from the 

 waters of their less energetic western brethren, and are ever 

 ready to do so on the same or more distant grounds. No one 

 familiar with the fishermen of our country can have other than 

 the warmest sympathies with them in their daring and un- 

 certain calling, and in their efforts to make the best of a 

 method of fishing which occasionally has difficulty in meeting 

 the requirements of the times, especially against so many com- 

 petitors. In most pursuits competition is keen, and constant 

 effort is necessary to maintain a good position. There is no 

 need, however, to despair of line-fishing, for there, as elsewhere, 

 skill, steadiness and perseverance will enable its followers to 

 hold their ground. 



Mr G. Shaw-Lefevre and Sir J. Caird, members, along with 

 Prof Huxley, of the Royal Commission of 1866, agreed generally 

 with Prof. Huxley's opinions. That Commission came to the 

 conclusion that there was no ground whatever for the allegation 

 of the falling off of any important fishery on any part of our 



1 Fisheries Exhih. Lit, vol, i. p. 130, 

 3 Ihid., p. 112, 



