378 
MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
custom, pleading that the size of the mesh should be left to the 
“good sense of the catchers!” and ending by the following 
stultifying resolution, which was passed unanimously : “ That in 
the opinion of this Conference, the size of mesh of the Herring 
net, as now in use by many of our fishermen round the coast of 
tlie United Kingdom, is detrimental to the interests of both the 
fishermen themselves and the general public, and this Conference 
is further of opinion that the size of the mesh should be increased, 
having regard to the fact that small Herring are at this time 
practically unmarketable. ” 
Mr. Cowing, of Yarmouth, writes, too, as follows : “ It is, 
I believe, the unanimous opinion of all in the trade here that 
a small mesh is most injurious to the interests of the catcher, 
small (that is to say very small) Herring are virtually unsaleable 
especially in our home markets. I firmly believe that if every 
fisherman could be induced to use a larger mesh, say thirty rows 
18-ply, thirty-one rows 15-ply, for Herrings, that it would 
considerably benefit the trade. It is not quantity we .want, but 
size.” 
According to Mr, Bradbeer, the nets used at Lowestoft vary 
according to season from thirty-two to thirty-three rows 18-pljL 
I'hose used for the spring fishery having a smaller mesh. The 
nets in use from Yai’mouth vary from twenty-nine to thirty-two 
meshes to the yard, as delivered from the factory, but the size 
of the mesh may be materially reduced in the subsequent process 
of “curing.” 
It is lamentable to think of the waste of food and the serious 
loss to fishermen which occurs should the market become glutted, 
and yet there are many better uses to which sprats and fish offal 
can be put than casting them on the land for manure. One of 
the greatest aids to commerce which a Scientific Kishery Board 
could render would be in experimenting and reporting upon the 
various processes of fish preserving for the benefit of the fishermen. 
Another direction in which incalculable service could be rendered 
is pointed out by Dr. Stirling in an article on “ Some economic 
products from Fish and corresponding Vegetable products,” printed 
in the Scottish Fishery Eeport for 1885. Other European countries 
are far ahead of us in such matters, simply because they recognise 
the service that science may render to commerce, for to the 
