SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE SEA FISHERIES BILL. 



55 



4 March 1904.] 



Mr. Hamon le Strange. 



[Continued 



Lord Tweedmouth — continued. 



many of them not in the least know wliat an 

 8 or lO-inch fish is. If you show a man an 

 8-inch fish and ask him the size of it, he will 

 always call it a 9-inch fish. 



Duke of Abercorn. 



1015. It depends upon whether the measure- 

 ment is to the root or the end of the tail ? — They 

 habitually over-estimate the size. 



Lord Tweedriwuth. 



1016. What I mean really is this : Supposing 

 there was a 10-inch limit, would that so dnxiinish 

 the number of fish they can bring into the mar- 

 ket, that it would materially injure their means 

 of Hvelihood ? — I think perhaps 10 inches 

 would ; 8 inches has been spoken of as the limit 

 for soles. 



Marquess of Huntly. 



1017. Then you approve of the Bill being 

 developed so that it would prevent all fishermen 

 landing these small fish within the territorial 

 limits ? —Yes. 



Duke of Abercorn. 



1018. I think you stated that one trawler 

 landed undersized fish which fetched 501. in the 

 market ? — A catch off' Borkum 58i., if they had 

 been mature plaice it would have been 14,000L 



1019. On what basis is that calculation made ? 

 — I suppose that is on the basis, which is an 

 utterly impossible one, that if every individual 

 of those who made the 58L lived to become 

 mature fish, the value would have gone from 

 58J. to 14,000?. 



1020. But I do not suppose any trawler 

 brought in fish to the value of 14,000?., otherwise 

 all these fishermen would be millionaires ? — An 

 enormous percentage of fish must necessarily die 

 in the struggle for life. 



1021. You were taking a general calculation, 

 that if these fish had been allowed to live their 

 value hereafter when they would have been 

 caught would have amounted to about 14,000f. ? 

 — So I am informed by the Fishery Inspector. 



Chairman. 



1022. Is there anything else you wish to say ? 



Chairman — continued. 

 — Would it not be advisable that Clause 1, 

 Sub-clause (3) of the Bill should include officers 

 of the Sea Fisheries Committees as persons 

 empowered to carry it out ? 



1023. In your opinion that would be advis- 

 able ? — Yes, in my opinion it would be advisable. 

 In them you have your constables ready made 

 to your hand. The clause says : " Any officer of 

 Customs or any officer appointed in that behalf 

 by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries or by 

 the Fishmongers' Company or by the Council 

 of the County or Borough in which any fish is 

 landed." That clause does not include the 

 officers of our sea fishery districts. 



Lord Tweedmouth. 



1024. Except that they might be appointed 

 under that ? — But they are not appointed by the 

 County Councils. 



1025. But they might be? — I suggest that 

 they should be appointed here. 



1026. It provides for anybody who is ap- 

 pointed ; there is nothing to exclude them ? — 

 Yes, but would you not put them in ipso 

 facto ? 



Chairman. 



1027. Is it not a question as between our twa 

 old friends " may " and " must " ? You want ta 

 put in they must be, and the Bill says they may 

 be ? — I was afraid you would leave them out, 

 perhaps. 



1028. I think there is nothing in the Bill to 

 prevent their being appointed ? — I wish to call 

 attention to the fact that you have your officers 

 ready made to your hand there in men accus- 

 tomed to the work. 



1029. We shall he only too glad to avail our- 

 selves of ready-made officers. There is only 

 one other question I should like to ask you 

 with reference to Lord Tweedmouth's examina- 

 tion. Supposing that Orders were made under 

 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries which, 

 affected the deep sea trawlers only, and it was. 

 afterwards found that an extension of the Orderii 

 to those trawling within the three-mile limit 

 was desired by them, it would be quite compe- 

 tent to extend it to them ? — I imagine so. 



1030. In fact the matter could be proceeded 

 with tentatively ? — Yes. 



The Witness is directed to withdraw. 



Ordered, That this Committee be adjourned to Thursday next, at eleven o'clock. 



