20 



Appendices to Thirty-seventh Annual Report 



respect for restrictions imposed in their own interest and that of the 

 industry. Apart from the excellent work performed by the Board's 

 cruisers in times of peace, they have been highly complimented by the 

 Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland,*on the way in which they have 

 conducted the Examination Service in the Firth of Forth. This service 

 has been performed for the Admiralty free of any charge for hire, and 

 the officers and men are all embodied in the Royal Naval Reserve. 



It is suggested, however, that extended powers should be conferred 

 on the commanding officers. Arrangements could also be made for 

 putting them and the men through a short course of training in 

 gunnery, etc., annually in order to fit them for dealing with refractory 

 foreign craft. 



At present the cruisers in normal circumstances are empowered 

 to enforce the laws and regulations affecting fishing operations against 

 British vessels, whether within or without the territorial waters, but 

 as already stated they have no power to interfere in any way with 

 foreign vessels outside the territorial waters, this duty being performed 

 exclusively by naval vessels, and there is no reason why this procedure 

 should not continue to be followed in future, as any infringement of 

 international law in those waters by foreigners observed by fishery 

 cruisers could be duly reported to and be investigated and reported 

 on by the commanders of naval ships. 



The question of ways and means will in the light of present abnormal 

 conditions have to be faced, as the annual pre-war grant made to the 

 Board for this service will be quite inadequate to meet the greatly 

 increased expenditure in prospect. 



In this connection it may be mentioned that in view of the dis- 

 ruption of the German Empire, which was a party to the North Sea 

 Convention of 1882, it will be necessary to review the arrangements 

 for the regulation of the fisheries outside the territorial limits. It 

 is suggested that in any new convention which may be entered into 

 provision should be made whereby any of the parties could formulate 

 regulations affecting methods of fishing considered to be injurious 

 to the stock of fish, such regulations to be subject to the concurrence 

 of the other parties to the convention. 



(x) Statistics and Research. 



Apart from distribution and preservation the chief handmaids 

 of the industry are statistics and research, as without these there can 

 be no intelligent and efficient administration. Data of a reliable 

 and scientific character should form the basis of all regulative action, 

 and this data should extend over a long period of years owing to the 

 inherent fluctuating character of the fishing industry. 



(a) Statistics and Intelligence. — In so far as Scotland is concerned, 

 complete statistics of the progress of the industry are available over 

 a long period of years. It is true that during the nineteenth century 

 these were based largely on the curing returns, but during that period 

 the consumption of herrings, cod, and ling in a fresh state was negligible, 

 and the returns afford a fairly reliable guide as to the fluctuations 

 which took place. 



In the '80's a beginning was made with the remodelling of the 

 statistics, and a system was gradually built up which ultimately came 



