THE DEVELOPMENT OF STEAM TRAWLING 151 



part of the sea adjoining Scotland, and within the exclusive fishery 

 limits of the British Islands, is injurious to any kind of sea fishing 

 within that part, or where it appears to the Fishery Board desirable 

 to make experiments or observations with a view of ascertaining 

 whether any particular mode of fishing is injurious, or for the 

 purposes of fish culture or experiments in fish culture, the Fishery 

 Board may make by-laws for restricting or prohibiting any method 

 of fishing for sea fish." The by-laws had to be confirmed by the 

 Secretary of State for Scotland before they became operative. 

 The Board soon took advantage of these increased powers ; in 

 1886 they commenced closing the waters under their control 

 against all methods of trawling. 



About this time an enormous increase of steam trawling took 

 place ; this speedily provoking a plea from the trawlers themselves 

 for some regulation against unrestricted trawling. Some of the 

 more pronounced and outspoken complaints deserve a passing 

 attention, as they are of some value in indicating the effect of a 

 laissez-faire policy, even when applied to fisheries in such an exten- 

 sive area as the North Sea. In 1888 a Conference of the representa- 

 tives of the trawl-fishing industry was held in London, at which 

 the following resolution was carried : " That the Royal Commission 

 on Trawling, 1885, having recommended that power should be given 

 to the Fishery Authorities to regulate or suspend trawling, or any 

 other mode of fishing within territorial waters, in cases in which it 

 is expedient to do so, this Conference is of opinion that legislation 

 should take place on the basis of that recommendation, withthe object 

 of increasing the supply of inshore fish, and this Conference, therefore, 

 respectfully urges the Government to take early steps in Parliament 

 to confer the necessary powers upon the English authorities." 



In the next Conference (1889) the leaders of the trawling industry 

 complained of the large and distressing diminution in the North 

 Sea of soles, turbot, plaice and all other flat-fish. The future was 

 viewed with alarm unless immediate steps were taken to prohibit 

 the catching of immature flat-fish. Suggestions were put forward 

 urging the Government to enter into negotiations with Continental 

 Governments to establish an international law to prohibit the wilful 

 catching of immature fish, both without and within the territorial 

 limit. It was argued that the territorial limits as defined, are not 

 sufficient for the protection of immature fish. The proposer of the 

 principal resolution said, " If you were to say you will not fish 

 within territorial limits, and allow large trawlers to fish close on 

 the borders of those territorial limits, we should witness what we 

 have been witnessing for a number of years — large masses of these 

 fish brought to the shore which are perfectly valueless." 



