SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 127 



ignorance of the other side of the case as represented by 

 the Local Sea-Fisheries Committees. 



District Committees. 



The administration of the Sea-Fisheries around our 

 coasts is now entrusted to District Committees, who, under 

 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, have large powers 

 in regard to the supervision, regulation and promotion of 

 the industries. Most of these Committees have under- 

 taken some investigations, and a few of them have done 

 much. They have secured the advice and assistance of 

 scientific men, have helped in the establishment of marine 

 laboratories, and have expended considerable sums upon 

 investigations, both by special steamers and otherwise. 



It would, in my opinion, be a fatal mistake to do 

 anything that would tend to discourage such excellent 

 local effort or to divorce administration from scientific 

 investigation. All sound regulation of the Fisheries must 

 be based upon accurate and detailed investigation. As 

 the administration has to be applied locally, the investi- 

 gation must be conducted locally. Every part of the 

 coast, every shellfish bed, has its own problems. It is 

 impossible to apply general principles or results obtained 

 elsewhere without an intimate knowledge of the local 

 conditions. The Sea Fisheries Committees which have 

 been conducting such local investigations have a strong 

 claim, not, perhaps, to be relieved entirely of the expense 

 of this necessary work, but to receive a substantial 

 contribution from the national purse. The local effort 

 has in some cases been very considerable, funds have been 

 raised, services have been given gratuitously and the work 

 has been carried on energetically and successfully. 

 There is no reason to suppose that the local subsidies will 



