^^2 THE SEA FISHERIES 



th J?n ^'V!fi^*^^ ^^^' "^^^^ ""^^"^ t^^^« regulations was by 

 T.th r f ^'":'''^ ^"*^°"*y *°^ ^^^llfi^h in the River MedinI 

 S >, X?V^?^^^' P^^^^"^"ig a period of three months during 

 which sheUfish from that river must be re-laid prior to sale fof 

 human consumption. There are. however, no important shellfish 

 beds m that nver. 



The second and third inquiries under the Local Government 

 Board Statutory Rules and Orders. No. 125, were held at Lancaster 

 on the 25th January, 1916. for mussels in the estuary of the Lune 

 t^^^w* T '?" °" *^^ ^"^^ February. 1916. for the mussels in the 

 Kibble. In both these estuaries there are not inconsiderable public 

 fisheries for shellfish, mainly mussels. In each case the Town 

 Council, or rather a Committee of the Town Council, acting as the 

 Port Sanitary Authority, called on the fishermen " to show cause 

 why an Order should not be made prohibiting, as the circumstances 

 may require, the distribution for sale for human consumption of 

 shellfish brought from the layings " in the Lune and Ribble re- 

 spectively. " unless such shellfish have been re-laid in pure water 

 for such period as the local authority, on the advice of their medical 

 officer of health, may direct." 



It soon became evident that there is considerable difficulty in 

 putting into force the regulations, when any opposition is offered, 

 and in each case the inquiry was adjourned sine die. A second 

 inquiry was held at Lancaster in February, 1918, with like result. 

 Nothing was done at either place to improve the " purity " of the 

 local mussels, until in December. 1918. the Local Government 

 Board issued an Order preventing the sale of Lune mussels for 

 human consumption until such mussels had been suitably cleansed. 

 The effect of this Order was to close the mussel beds entirely. 



An alternative mode of procedure which appears to offer better 

 results is to obtain a special Act of Parliament for the regulation of 

 mussel fisheries in certain defined areas. This has been done by 

 the Corporation of Conway for that estuary, and by the Lancashire 

 and Western Committee for Cardigan Bay. Under these Acts the 

 authorities obtain powers to compel the local fishermen to subject 

 their mussels to a process of cleansing before they are sent to the 

 inland markets. The details of these powers are set forth in the 

 Acts.^ At Conway the Corporation has been assisted by the Board 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries. Tanks have been constructed, and 

 mussels from the less polluted parts of the estuary are subjected 

 to a treatment in chemically sterilised sea water. It is claimed 

 that practically all the bacteria of the B. coli and allied types are 



' Sea Fisheries Conway Provisional Order Confirmation Act, 1912 (2 and 3 Geo. 5). 

 Sea Fisheries Cardigan Bay Provisional Order Confirmation Act, 1915 {5 and 6 Geo. 5). 



