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MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
xiir. 
NOTES ON THE HERRING FISHERY OF 188G. 
By Thomas Southwell, E.Z.S. 
Read 22 nd February, 1887 . 
Early in the month of February last, a Conference of Fish 
Salesmen, Curers, Boat-Owners, and M.P.’s, met to discuss various 
matters connected with the Sea Fisheries of the United Kingdom, 
including : Railway Rates ; Market Tolls ; Import Duty on Foreign 
Herring; The Amendment of the Fisheries Convention of 1883; 
Whether anything could he done by the Legislature to improve 
the condition of the Herring Fisheries of the LTnited Kingdom ; 
The Preservation of Fish in Boracic Acid ; Trawling by Steam, or 
otherwise, within the Three-mile Limit ; The Constitution of the 
New Fisheries Department of the Board of Trade ; The Importation 
of American Oysters ; and lastly, A System of National Insurance 
for Fishermen. A sufficiently wide programme certainly, and one 
of great interest. 
It will he sufficient to say of one subject, that the present 
“Department” does not give universal satisfaction, and that by 
some it was thought that a properly constituted “ Board ” (even 
though it had not the advantage of being immediately under a 
Minister of State), aided by the advice of practical men, would he 
more efficient than a “ Deioartment ” virtually “under an Assistant 
Secretary, responsible to the General Secretary, responsible to 
the President,” and advised by an Inspector, thus leaving 
“ the whole fishing industry practically in the hands of an 
Inspector.” 
One of the speakers estimated the number of persons employed, 
directly and indirectly, in this industry at not less than 1 , 000 , 000 , 
