FISHERY LEGISLATION; XCV 



according to his individual caprice, untrammelled by any restrictive 

 enactments, as such only tend to upset the " balance of Nature." While 

 protection, it is asserted, is only necessary when the habits of any fish 

 compel it to live throughout the year in a confined area to which man has 

 access, or . to pass once or more in any year into some narrow space 

 commanded or capable of being commanded by man. But it seems to have 

 been 'overlooked that 'man, left to fish as he likes, when he likes and where 

 he likes, does not act impartially in fisheries. He does not destroy every 

 form indiscriminately, thus maintaining " a balance," but merely such classes 

 as he desires for food. The mackerel and the herring are taken in millions, 

 but. the shark, the dog-fish and the porpoise are practically left -unmolested, 

 and in this way any balance would not be "maintained" but "upset." The 

 haddock and cod are being destroyed to an enormous extent, and appear 

 as a consequence to be decreasing, both in size and quantity : this again 

 may tend to deprive gregarious fishes of one of their natural enemies. The 

 mussels, crabs, and other invertebrates, which form the food of the inshore 

 fish, being unprotected, are diminishing around our coasts, and this due to 

 .thd action of man, for when protection has been afforded, as off the cOast of 

 J^^orfolk, a great increase almost immediately took place. 



Our markets are supplied from' two distinct economic divisions of fisheries ; 

 the first, such as crabs, lobsters, and . eels, wherein a foreign supply keeps 

 the price down, and consequently the fishermen would have to preserve these 

 fisheries in a .tolerably, fair condition, or else, with prices restricted to a 

 certain maximum amount, they would be unable to supply the markets. 

 The second class, or mainly fresh fish, cannot as a rule be furnished from 

 abroad, consequently the price will rise, or 'fall with, the supply. If the 

 supply is small the fisherman receives a .commensurate augmentation in 

 money — he is no loser, it does not signify to him if the market has an 

 insuflBcient amount. Or if quantity is required, still that the better class of 

 fisheries are impoverished is of as little concern — he can fill up with inferior 

 sorts, such as a few years since were rarely seen in our markets. The 

 importance of fresh-water fisheries is not solely in a ratio as regards the 

 amount of their productiveness, but also in accordance with the character of 

 the contiguous people, as to whether they are fish-consumers or reject such 

 an article of diet : the sparseness or the reverse of the population, and 

 facilities for transport to distant places. Where no regulations exist for, the 

 protection of inland fisheries, and should other circumstances be equal, that 

 country or' district which is most densely populated by man will be least so 

 by fish. Individuals would rather live by fishing than by agriculture, because 

 the trouble of capturing the finny tribes is less than that of tilling the soil. 

 It becomes simply a matter of catching food without a thought of future- 

 supply. As, however, the humaii inhabitants augment, watery wastes 



