240 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 



of immature fishes is common to all classes of fishermen, and 

 nowhere is proved to have resulted in the ruin of any sea- 

 fishery ; that because the first five years of the decade (1886 — 

 1895) had a higher average than the second in the Fishery 

 Board's experiments, it therefore followed that diminution of 

 the fishes had occurred, and called for further closures beyond 

 the three-mile limit to remedy it, is shown to rest on insecure 

 data; that the closure of the three-mile limit has failed to 

 increase the number or the size of the food-fishes, is ineffective 

 in regard to the supply of the public, and is a continual source 

 of friction and expense, while falling short of the expectations 

 of those who clamoured for it ; that the evidence given before 

 the Trawling Commission of " trawling out " certain grounds in 

 three years with a small vessel carrying a small trawl, the 

 working period being about three times a week for three 

 months in autumn, is at variance with experience ; that the 

 statements to the effect that fishes captured by the trawl are 

 inferior as articles of food to the general public cannot be main- 

 tained either by science or by a knowledge of the markets ; that 

 the "Garland's" work shows the comparatively small destruction 

 of immature fishes of value, even though she often trawled 

 where no commercial ships would ; that the perusal of masses 

 of fishery- statistics shows the constant series of changes that 

 take place on every area, yet the fisheries are not destroyed; 

 that such a fishery as that for sparlings in the estuary of the 

 Tay has from tim.e immemorial been very much as it is ; that 

 though salmon and sea- trout abound in the sea man derives 

 little knowledge of their presence by either trawl or hook, and 

 yet many of both must come in their way. 



Lastly, the results of the foregoing investigations do not 

 seem to offer a basis for the fitting-out of fast cruisers with 

 search-lights to pursue the trawling vessels of our countrymen 

 in their own waters. They may be of importance, however, in 

 preserving order between the various classes of fishermen, and 

 in carrying out properly organised scientific experiments and 

 observations in connection with the food-fishes, which, it is 

 clear, have not received any appreciable benefit from the 

 closure, 



