124 Report as to Trawling for Herring. 
ceived. The close time which diminishes the capture of 
such fish must necessarily prove destructive to the her- 
ring. 
31. When we further consider that the cod and ling caught re- 
present only a small proportion of those which remain in 
the sea, and when we recollect that these fish are by no 
means the most voracious for herring, but that the latter 
have to struggle for existence, not only with larger fish, 
but with birds, such as gulls and gannets, and with por- 
poises, and other cetacea, man, as an element of either 
conservation or destruction, must produce an inappreci- 
able effect. 
32. Under such circumstances, the herring fishery should not 
be trammelled with repressive Acts, calculated only to 
protect class interests, and to disturb in an unknown and 
possibly injurious manner the balance existing between 
the conservative and destructive agencies at work upon 
the herring. If legislation could regulate the appetites of 
cod, conger and porpoise, it might be useful to pass laws 
regarding them; but to prevent fishermen from catch- 
ing their poor one or two per cent, of herring in any 
way they please, when the other 98 per cent., subject to 
destructive agencies, are poached in all sorts of unrecog- 
nised piscine methods, seems a wasteful employment of 
the force of law. 
33. We conclude by expressing our strong conviction that the 
recent legislation on the subject of the herring fishery 
has unnecessarily restricted the operations of fishermen, 
—has repressed invention, by prohibiting new and more 
productive forms of labour,—is calculated to be destruc- 
tive, rather than conservative, in relation to the future 
supply of herring ; and although it may be beneficial to 
certain class interests, is prejudicial to the consumer of 
fish, and to the public generally. 
