170 



THE SEA FISHERIES 



200-metre line (109 fathoms). The areas between the 3-mile limit 

 and the g-mile and 13-mile limits are also shown : — 



Area (in nautical square miles) between 

 3-mile limit and 



Apparently the Board assume that the 200-metre line is the 

 limit of practicable fishing, on this assumption they state that a 

 9-mile limit or a 13-mile limit would reduce the area available 

 for trawling (excluding the White and Baltic Seas) by one-fifth 

 and one-third respectively. In the latter case over 135,000 nautical 

 square miles, i.e. an area nearly equivalent to that of the North 

 Sea would be cut off from the trawlable area. 



The limit of 13 miles was contemplated in Section 10 of the Sea 

 Fisheries Regulation (Scotland) Act of 1895. 



If the North Sea be considered apart from the other areas, it is 

 found that between the 3-mile line and the 9-miIe limit, there is an 

 area of 12,000 sq. miles, or 7-4 per cent of the whole extra-territorial 

 waters ; between the 3 and the 13-mile limit the area would be about 

 20,000 sq. miles, or 12-3 per cent. 



There is nothing unreasonable or alarming in suggesting either 

 of these limits for the North Sea, more especially when the latter 

 limit (13 miles) would close for the most part grounds frequented 

 by undersized fish. To be effective such a closure must obviously 

 be international. The closure of the inshore areas would naturally 

 be to steam trawling only, and a large area of fishing ground would 

 thus be available for the inshore fishermen. Under such an arrange- 

 ment it is difficult to see how British fishermen could lose much, 

 since the proportion of waters within which they would have the 

 exclusive right of fishery would be greater than that of any other 



State 



Another proposal which has been considered by the trawler owiers 

 as likely to prevent the undue depletion of the fishing grounds is 

 the regulation of catching power. At a Conference of representatives 

 of the National Sea Fisheries Protection Association, held at 

 Grimsby in 1902, it was proposed : " That this Conference regards 

 as conclusive the evidence of a widespread diminution of the supply 



