ADMINISTRATION IN ENGLAND 103 



directed towards the restriction of trawling/ the 

 regulation of the sizes and meshes of fishing nets, 

 and the minimising of the capture of undersized 

 and immature sea- and shell-fish. Thus, steam 

 trawling vessels are absolutely forbidden to fish in 

 the English territorial waters, and even sailing 

 trawlers are not allowed to fish in the Northumber- 

 land territorial waters. In most other districts 

 there are considerable restrictions on trawling : 

 defined areas may be closed entirely, or for a 

 certain portion of the year, against this method of 

 fishing. Where it is allowed, the regulations in 

 force may limit the size of the trawl-beam, or that 

 of the meshes of the net ; or trawling may be 

 allowed, subject to the provisions that the hauls 

 are of limited duration, and that the net be 

 raised and cleared, and undersized fishes returned 

 promptly to the sea. Shrimp-trawling is subject 

 to many restrictions, and in some cases is ab- 

 solutely forbidden. All these regulations are based 

 on the current belief that trawling in territorial 

 waters, whether for sea-fishes or shrimps, destroys 

 great numbers of immature fishes, and that its 

 unrestricted practice is detrimental to the per- 

 manence of the local fisheries. 



Many committees regulate the fishing for shell- 

 fish, that is, oysters, mussels, cockles, shrimps, 



1 See the chart in the Report of the Select Committee {JI.L.) 

 on the Sea-Fisheries Bill, 1904. This represents graphically the 

 areas of coast where trawling is prohibited or restricted. 



