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SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 75 
Whatever may be the future of Sea-Fisheries administra- 
tion and control in this country, and there are various more 
or less conflicting schemes in print and in the air at present, 
there can be no doubt as to the value and urgent need of more, 
and still more, research and education. If that great need 
be admitted, it is surely foolish, if not criminal, to delay until 
more comprehensive or ideally perfect schemes can be evolved. 
Neither research nor education need be confined to one or a 
few national centres. Wherever and whenever research is 
possible all right-minded men will say let it be carried on, and 
surely education in fishery matters is desirable at every great 
fishing port. 
The Lancashire and Western District has in the past 
made at least a good beginning in both fishery research and 
fishery education. For many years the scientific staff has 
organised and conducted practical classes in marine biology and 
navigation for fishermen at the Piel laboratory and hatchery 
near Barrow, and up to the summer of 1914 the scheme of 
scientific work at sea and in the University Department at 
Liverpool was constantly enlarging in scope and improving in 
methods. War conditions and restrictions necessarily put an 
end for the time being to both fishermen’s classes and research 
work at sea. The reports on the scientific work for the past 
four years show that with reduced grants, depleted staff and 
restrictions at sea it has only been possible to carry on a portion 
of the investigations—that portion, in fact, which can be done 
in the laboratory or on the sea-shore. A great gap of over 
four years at least thus exists in our series of accumulated 
observations and statistics at sea—a gap which ought not to 
be allowed to become any greater. At the earliest possible 
moment after the return of the Lancashire Sea-Fisheries 
steamer from her special Admiralty duties to her normal 
civil life the full programme of scientific work at sea ought to 
be resumed. 
