116 CORMORANTS AND THE GIPPSLAND LAKES FISHERY 
popular idea, that the crabs are responsible, may be safely 
set aside. 
The possibility of over fishing and the increased facility 
of movement afforded by motor boats have been suggested as 
contributing factors, but the evidence does not support this. 
While the use of the motor boat has aided the fisherman it has 
also added to his expenses, and it should be noted that the 
number of men engaged went down by about 25 per cent, 
during the ten years prior to 1937. This reduction in numbers 
followed the marked diminution in fish quantities which coin- 
cided with, and appears to have resulted from, the increased 
salinity over a period, causing the destruction of the aquatic 
grasses and the advent of the crab pest in the lakes. A fisher- 
man must obtain a licence for himself and his boat each year, 
and there are regulations to which he must adhere, notably the 
prohibition of netting in rivers and specified areas at the 
mouths of rivers. These j^oints are mentioned as evidence that 
proper control is exercised over those engaged in the fishery. 
Other factors, such as the unnecessary clearing of land, 
uneconomic settlement generally, and the destruction of 
forests in the watershed by fires and other means leading to 
increased erosion, doubtless have contributed to the deteriora- 
tion of the fishery, but the evidence available appears to me to 
indicate that the basic cause of the difficulties affecting the 
Gippsland Lakes Fishery is the permanent artificial entrance. 
If this entrance was used for the benefit of some other industry 
there would perhaps be a case to answer, although I am 
doubtful if any other industry could compete in value with 
a good estuarine fishery which only requires intelligent 
working to be permanent and constant in supply. 
I have endeavoured to show that neither the Cormorant nor 
any other particular organism (aside from man) is respon- 
sible for what is taking place in the Gippsland Lakes. The 
Cormorant and every other group or kind of organism 
(animal and plant), from the microscopical to the largest, are 
essential parts of a whole. Under natural conditions all of 
these so fit in and react one with another that, no matter what 
the climatic or other conditions may be, equilibrium — a natural 
balance — is maintained. But let any one or any body of 
people interfere to destroy any single unit of this whole, and 
the result is likely to be disastrous. This result may be long 
delayed, but it is none the less certain. It cannot be otherwise, 
for the natural laws which govern these associations of 
animals and plants are immutable. There is ample evidence 
of this destructive interference throughout Victoria alone. 
