268 BRITISH FISHERIES 



sea is unlimited, there must be a point at which 

 the quantity taken by each boat would be affected 

 by the number of boats fishing ; and a decrease in 

 the annual average take per boat might, therefore, 

 be due simply to the catch of fish being distributed 

 among a larger number of boats, and not to any 

 depletion of the fishing grounds." With this 

 observation the Inspectors apparently dismiss the 

 subject without further investigation. It seems 

 quite clear that some confusion of thought 

 exists here. The supply of fish in the sea is not 

 unlimited, but bears a proportion, which we are 

 beginning to know, to the means of capture. And 

 if the quantity of fish taken by each boat is affected 

 by the number of other boats fishing, it surely 

 means that between them they have made fish on 

 the sea-bottom less abundant. If a boat (either 

 steam trawler or smack) catches fewer fish in the 

 course of the year,^ it can mean nothing else than 

 this, that on the portion of sea-bottom swept by her 

 trawl-net there are fewer fish now than was formerly 

 the case. That is, the density of fish per unit of 

 area of the North Sea fishing grounds is less 

 now than it was thirty years ago. This is a real 

 impoverishment of the fishing grounds. 



Now, how may this impoverishment have 

 occurred ? There are three ways : — 



^ Provided her fishing apparatus is as eflfective and she has made 

 as many voyages as formerly. We know that these conditions have 

 been satisfied. 



