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then — even if we did do it, the result would be just the same: the fisher- 

 men might then take seines with meshes of 3 inches, as the haddock-seines, 

 and say: now we are fishing for haddock and cod — and get plaice. 



That is the way at present in the Limfjord where they must not fish 

 with plaice-seines in summer, but in stead of that use eel-seines to catch 

 the plaice — and so get many more little plaice than they would other- 

 wise do. 



Indeed, the only thing we could do was to say: plaice. »of fished in 

 pla ice-seines, must be thrown into the sea, whether they are large or small. 

 whether they are dead or alive. The fishermen would then perhaps do what 

 they could in order not to catch soles and plaice at the same time; but we 

 had then also got a Draconic regulation which in no way could be con- 

 trolled and, consequently, would not be followed; — and which would be 

 useful only if the fish that were thrown into the sea could live. 



As we have here supposed the result to he with the seines, it would 

 be also with the nets; for we have all sizes of meshes, from haddock-nets 

 and cod-nets with small meshes to nets for large plaice and turbot. 



And what was to be done with all the little plaice which accidentally 

 were caught in pound-nets, cod-weels, etc.! Only one thing: to throw them 

 into the sea again. — This whole system of a fixed size of the meshes 

 would, in a country with so complicated fishing-methods as ours, be at 

 variance with nearly all fishery-interests, if if were carried through so that 

 if realty did help fo protect the stock of fish. 



That this could be done in any way, I do not think; much con- 

 trol would be necessary, and even if all fish which were caught in other 

 sorts of fishing-gear than those intended for them, were thrown oat, if would 

 he of any help only if these fish could live. 



A regulation as to the size of the meshes can be carried through 

 only in seas where very few sorts of fishing-tackle are employed, for in- 

 stance in the German Sea with respect to the English trawl; but as the 

 latter after all must be able to catch many sorts of fish, the size of the 

 meshes must be fitted for the smaller sorts of soles, and will then he of no 

 value for the plaice. 



Here is not yet mentioned the great difficulty in carrying out such 

 regulations practically; the matter is that tJw meshes change their size when 

 they become moist, when the fishing-gear grows older, and when, for the 

 better keeping of it, it is boiled or tarred with the stuff necessary for this 



