2IO BRITISH FISHERIES 



to a virtual extension of the territorial limits in 

 cases where this is of some importance. The 

 experiments of the Scottish Fishery Board, which 

 led to the closure of the Moray Firth, have been, 

 to some extent, rendered valueless by the fact that 

 foreign trawlers can, and do, fish in that area, 

 though it is closed against British vessels. If 

 international agreement to respect the closure of 

 such an experimental area could be secured, it 

 was felt that much good would be done. These 

 considerations argued strongly in favour of the 

 formation of an international association for marine 

 fisheries exploration, and official people in touch 

 with the British fisheries authorities seem to have 

 been influenced by such arguments. The Select 

 Committee of the House of Commons which 

 considered the Sea-Fisheries Bill of 1900 made a 

 recommendation in favour of international action. 

 " No effort," they said, " ought to be spared, first, 

 to arrange for international treatment of the 

 subject generally [scientific investigation and regula- 

 tion], and especially for regulation of the North 

 Sea area. "^ Between 1893 and 1900 there was, 

 it is quite evident, a growing feeling in favour of 

 international research and regulation. 



In 1899, therefore, the Swedish Hydrographical 

 Commission made representations to the Swedish 

 Government, which resulted in the extension of an 

 invitation by the latter to those States interested in 



* Report, Select Committee of i^oo, p. vi. 



