SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 85 



the Island of Heligoland was suggested ; a programme of 

 scientific research was drafted ; schemes of education and 

 technical training tor fisher lads were prepared— and so on. 

 But what has since happened has fallen very far short of these 

 ideals. There is still no suggestion, even, of education and 

 training for fishermen, and, on the whole, scientific research is 

 much less well provided for than it was in 1913. The Fisheries 

 Bill promised in the King's speech in 1920 has not yet appeared. 

 I don't suppose that fishery was even mentioned at the Peace 

 Conference, and as for vesting the Prussian Marine Biological 

 Station, and the revenues of the Island of Heligoland, in the 

 International Fisheries Council — that, perhaps, would hardly 

 have been regarded as " practical politics." To be sure it 

 might only have been the occasion for an irritatingly bureau- 

 cratic and wasteful administration ! Doubtless the reconstruc- 

 tion suggested by the fishing industry in 1918-20 will come 

 about — sometime — and when it does it ought to be remembered 

 what was its genesis. 



Russia was not represented at the 1920 International 

 Meeting, nor were the Germans, although informal communi- 

 cation with some of the latter investigators had been reopened, 

 and it was known that the exploring vessel, " Poseidon," had 

 been working since September, 1919. France, which had 

 hitherto been unrepresented, sent a delegate and experts, and 

 it was expected that the United States of America would also 

 come in : this, however, has not yet been arranged, so far as 

 I know. 



The various sections of the Conference resumed their 

 deliberations very much where the latter were suspended in 

 1914 except for one matter — the effect of the admiralty restric- 

 tions of 1914-18 upon the fish population of the North Sea. 



Over-Fishing in the North Sea. 



It had generally been agreed that there was over-fishing 

 in some areas— particularly the North Sea— though there were 



