210
'
'
cINVESTIGATIONS IN MORAY FRITH, 1897.
'
_
T
Nothing in the foregoing facts is inconSistent with a sound
'
condition of the area of the Moray Frith (closed and'open) as
regards food—shes.
They are in unison with whathas been
_
‘
found in the other areas, and" if they demonstrate anything
more than another it is that the interference of man, specially
,
—
by closure, is powerless to increase the food—shes of the sea, or
'
_
_
by eager shing to reduce them to vanishing point.
A careful consideration of the returns both of liners and
trawlers in connection with the Moray Frith shows that there
’
"
-
are no satisfact0ry- grounds for the closure of “ spawning areas,”
any more than for the closure of the inshore limit of three
miles, for the purpose
of increasing the sh—supply of the
'
country.
For eleven years closure of part of the area, and for
ve years closure of the entire area, has been in force, with the
“
result that, allowing for the usual variations, the shes in the
_
area
and its neighb0urhood as a whole, are very much what
they were at the beginning.
Scientic evidence as to the
'
serious diminution of any species is wanting.
On the cOntrary,
—
there is proof of the abundance of all the important forms oVer
.
a
wide area, including not only the closed region, but the
«
waters beyond.
Temporary reduction, local or otherwise, has
.
always occurred, but, sooner or later, the nomad food—shes
-
again assert themselves, and ”continue from generation to.
f
generation of men a never—nding supply.
"
.
—
‘
It cannot be said, however, that complete satisfaction has
;
been felt with tliework as carried out by the “ Garland,” and if
.,
i>
other means for observation had not been constantly at hand, —
‘
the same condence would not have been felt in Coming to a
-
decision on a question so important.
The investigations of
'
'
those of the commercial Ships before the closure of the ‘
Frith, those during its closure, and those made in April, 1898,
.
‘
outside the Frith, together with the work of the “ Garland ” and
'
other observations, give a body of facts which are reliable.
'
'
'
cINVESTIGATIONS IN MORAY FRITH, 1897.
'
_
T
Nothing in the foregoing facts is inconSistent with a sound
'
condition of the area of the Moray Frith (closed and'open) as
regards food—shes.
They are in unison with whathas been
_
‘
found in the other areas, and" if they demonstrate anything
more than another it is that the interference of man, specially
,
—
by closure, is powerless to increase the food—shes of the sea, or
'
_
_
by eager shing to reduce them to vanishing point.
A careful consideration of the returns both of liners and
trawlers in connection with the Moray Frith shows that there
’
"
-
are no satisfact0ry- grounds for the closure of “ spawning areas,”
any more than for the closure of the inshore limit of three
miles, for the purpose
of increasing the sh—supply of the
'
country.
For eleven years closure of part of the area, and for
ve years closure of the entire area, has been in force, with the
“
result that, allowing for the usual variations, the shes in the
_
area
and its neighb0urhood as a whole, are very much what
they were at the beginning.
Scientic evidence as to the
'
serious diminution of any species is wanting.
On the cOntrary,
—
there is proof of the abundance of all the important forms oVer
.
a
wide area, including not only the closed region, but the
«
waters beyond.
Temporary reduction, local or otherwise, has
.
always occurred, but, sooner or later, the nomad food—shes
-
again assert themselves, and ”continue from generation to.
f
generation of men a never—nding supply.
"
.
—
‘
It cannot be said, however, that complete satisfaction has
;
been felt with tliework as carried out by the “ Garland,” and if
.,
i>
other means for observation had not been constantly at hand, —
‘
the same condence would not have been felt in Coming to a
-
decision on a question so important.
The investigations of
'
'
those of the commercial Ships before the closure of the ‘
Frith, those during its closure, and those made in April, 1898,
.
‘
outside the Frith, together with the work of the “ Garland ” and
'
other observations, give a body of facts which are reliable.
'