THE TRAWLING COMMISSION 35 



long been known to be demersal^ that is, they were 

 heavier than sea-water, and underwent develop- 

 ment lying on the sea-bottom. In this case there 

 was no doubt that the trawl might, if it were 

 worked on a herring spawning ground, pass over 

 masses of these eggs, and at least seriously disturb 

 them. Herring spawning banks may, however, be 

 situated on stony ground, over which it is difficult 

 to trawl, and it appeared from Professor M'Intosh's 

 observations that, even if a trawl did pass over such 

 masses of herring spawn, much damage need not 

 necessarily result. Besides, the herring, from its 

 migratory habit and its enormous abundance, is 

 less susceptible to injury from this source than 

 most other fishes. 



The assertion that the trawl-net was injurious 

 to fish spawn was thus finally disproved, and the 

 same result was obtained with regard to the other 

 commonly stated effect of trawling — that it 

 destroyed the bottom-living animals serving as 

 food for fishes. The Commission concluded also 

 that there was no proof of the wasteful or un- 

 necessary destruction of immature food-fishes by 

 this method of fishing. There remained, then, 

 the last charge brought against trawling — that 

 it was a method of fishing which led to the 

 impoverishment of the fishing grounds. 



So far the conclusions of the Trawling Com- 

 missioners were practically identical with those 

 arrived at by their predecessors ; but with regard to 



