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Part III. — Tenth Annual Report 
to John o' Groat's — except a few 'busses' or vessels for deep-sea-fish- 
ing on the bounty system. The fishing boats were small and open, and 
the fishermen clung to the coasts and bays with the greatest pertinacity. 
Later, larger boats, partially or completely decked, began to appear, and 
the fishermen ventured further and further from shore, until for many 
years past they have ranged the northern parts of the North Sea — fre- 
quently fishing from 150 to 200 miles from shore, and even within view 
of the Norwegian Coast. This extension of the area of fishing is a most 
important consideration to be kept in view. Thus, Mr John Bain, the 
Fishery Officer for the Peterhead District, informs me that ' any increase 
' that has taken place in the quantities of fish landed must be largely, if 
' not wholly, attributed to the increased appliances in operation. A large 
' depletion has taken place on the inshore fishing grounds, and the boats 
' are now, to a large extent, fishing on what may be regarded as virgin 
* soil. Some large quantities of halibut were got on these new grounds, 
' but after a time a large decrease took place in the catch.' He states, 
further, that ' all our fisheries — lines and nets — have of late years been 
' prosecuted with a diligence and to an extent quite unprecedented in past 
' times. Larger boats, more and finer nets, more and better lines, and a 
* larger area of fishing ground, seem to be requisite in order to keep up 
' the supplies of fish.' Mr John Doull, the Fishery Officer of the Eye- 
mouth District, also says : ' Fishermen, in general, assert that it now takes 
' a much larger and finer quantity of herring nets, lines, and creels to 
' capture the same quantity of herrings, white fish, crabs, and lobsters 
' than it took twenty or thirty years ago. This shows that these descrip- 
' tions of fish have, for a good many years past, been getting scarcer on the 
' fishing grounds. From my long connection with the fisheries, I readily 
' acquiesce in this opinion of the fishermen.' And these statements are 
confirmed at other parts of the coast. 
Another consideration of importance is this, that by reason of the larger 
and better boats now employed, fishermen are able to prosecute their in- 
dustry more continuously than before. They go to sea and shoot their 
nets and lines in weather which previously imprisoned them behind the 
harbour bar. For instance, at Macduff, Mr James Gow, the Officer of the 
Banff District, informs me that in February last, for two weeks, the boats 
were daily at sea, and landing large quantities of fish, the fishermen 
asserting ' that, with the same weather ten years ago, there would not 
' have been a boat out in the district.' And further, for the same 
reason, line fishing is prosecuted for a considerably longer period than was 
formerly the case. 
Were it possible to contrast the quantity of fish caught by the same 
extent of apparatus, say within twenty miles from the coast, at the pre- 
sent day, with the quantity taken twenty, thirty, or forty years ago, the 
difference, I think, would be immense. 
4. How To Deal with Ovek-fishing. 
Over-fishing may be dealt with in three ways : — (1) by restrictive regu- 
lation ; (2) by endeavouring to increase the supply of fish by artificial 
propagation, leaving the practice of fishing free ; (3) by a combination of 
restriction with artificial propagation. 
Kegulation may concern the place of fishing, the time of fishing, the 
mode of fishing, or the size or kind of fish caught, or, at least, landed, 
severally or in combination. There may be a total prohibition , of a cer- 
tain mode or modes of fishing, or of all fishing, in certain areas — either 
throughout the year or for a limited period (' close time '). Interference 
