80 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



qualified official (as in the case of the branding of herrings b] 

 the Scottish Fishery Board). Thus the pack could gradually 

 be made better. I see no objections to such a policy except 

 those that are either doctrinaire, or bureaucratic, or simpb 

 foolish ones. 



I think it is likely that the export herring trade of these 

 Islands will ultimately regain its pre-war magnitude — if that 

 is judged to be enough. Certainly it is unlikely greatly to 

 exceed the level it attained just before the war. The great 

 markets (Germany and Eussia) are after all limited ones, and 

 the South European and Eastern countries do not want pickled 

 nerrings (on the other hand there is an insatiable demand in 

 the East for tinned fish of the sardine type). Already there 

 is a great Norwegian trade, scientifically studied and organised, 

 possessing a national unity, which seems to be very difficult 

 to establish in this country, and turning out products of great 

 excellence. Holland strives incessantly to regain her " place 

 in the sun " which she possessed hi the 16th century, and 

 certainly the growth of her herring fisheries during late years 

 has been remarkable. To rebuild the British herring export 

 trade must therefore be a task of some difficulty, and I am 

 convinced that in attempting it scientific and industrial research 

 will be necessary, while State support, in the form of bounties, 

 may be necessary. 



The Inshore Fisheries. 



It is not easy to obtain precise information as to the con- 

 dition of the small-boat and longshore fisheries, but it is pretty 

 clear that these also are on the decline. Trawling for fish by 

 " nobbies " seems to have fallen off in Lancashire waters : 

 thus, twenty years ago there used to be a small flotilla of 

 Southport and Morecambe boats at Pwllheli for the summer 

 fishing, but now one sees only an isolated vessel. There is little 

 doubt that the growth of the holiday resorts has tended to 

 transform the inshore fishermen into " bumboatmen," and 



