146 EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. 



supply of fish; and, thirdly, whether the said fisheries are injuriously 

 affected by any legislative restrictions, humbly submit the following 

 report of our proceedings to Your Majesty: 



We first proceed to state the results of our inquiries into the matters 

 to which Your Majesty's commission especially directs our attention. 

 And, first, whether the supply of fish from the sea-fisheries is increas- 

 ing, stationary, or diminishing. 



Though there has been much conflicting evidence on this point, we 

 have had no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that, on the coasts of 

 Great Britain, the supply of fish is increasing, and that it admits of pro- 

 gressive increase. 



It fluctuates according to the locality and the season of the year. In 

 the autumn of 1863 the northeast coast of England yielded a meagre 

 inshore fishing, while, in the following year, we found on the east coast 

 of Scotland the haddock fishing had been one of the best ever known. 

 And at the time that the inshore fishing was unproductive in 18(53, that 

 carried on by the decked vessels farther to sea was yielding an abundant 

 supply. 



The evidence where strongest in favor of a gradual decline in the yield 

 of fish was nearly always accompanied by statements showing a pro- 

 gressive increase in the number of men and boats engaged in the fish- 

 ing. And not only have these numbers uniformly increased, but there 

 has also been an increase in the length of each fishing-line and the num- 

 ber of hooks upon it, in the length and depth of the nets, and in the 

 size and sea-going qualities of the boats. The machinery for fishing 

 has been increased in efficiency, while, in proportion to that efficiency, 

 the cost of working it is actually diminished. There is likewise abundant 

 proof of the continued productiveness of the nearest and most frequented 

 fishing-grounds. The principal London salesmen concurred in their 

 testimony to that effect. Not only are the fishing-vessels constantly 

 being increased in number, but the take of each vessel is increasing, 

 and, from the speedier means of transport, the quality of the fish is 

 improving. On the western part of the Dogger bank it" is not un- 

 common for a single trawl vessel to take, in a three hours' trawl, from 

 two to three tons' weight of fish ; and a smack-owner mentioned a recent 

 case in which five of his vessels caught 17 tons of fish in one night. 

 Similar testimony is borne to the prolific character of the fishing-banks 

 of Scarborough, Elamborough Head, Grimsby, and the coast of Norfolk. 

 In the English Channel, the famous fishing-ground of Rye Bay, which 

 has for a long period of years been constantly trawled over by both 

 English and French fishermen, was stated to have yielded more fish in 

 1863 than in any previous year. In some of the bays on the south coast 

 signs of over-fishing have been alleged to exist, but in the deep sea the 

 well-known trawling-grounds are constant^ fished over with daily re- 

 turning success. 



The second question submitted to us is, whether any of the methods 

 of catching fish in use in the sea-fisheries involves a wasteful destruc- 

 tion of fish and spawn ; and, if so, whether it is probable that any legis- 

 lative restriction upon such methods of fishing would result in an in- 

 crease of the supply of fish °? 



Of the many methods of taking sea-fish described in the appendix, 

 (No. 1,) very few have escaped complaint from one source or another; 

 and our minutes of evidence would have been tar less voluminous had 

 we not considered it our duty to encourage the complainants to state 

 their views fully, and to sift out, by careful and varied questioning, the 

 amount of truth contained in their multitudinous allegations. 



