SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.
289
M. Georges Roché, the Inspector—in—Chief of the French
marine sheries, on the other hand, accepte the conclusions1
of the Blue—book in regard to the ten years’ work of the
Fishery Board as if accurate and nal, attributing, for instance,
the great increase of 1887 to the accumulation of shes before
the trawlers had time to affect the offshore.
He, however,
draws attention to the illusion of supposing that the closure
of
the
three—mile
limit will ensure the protection of the
sheries.
But it may be said that the increase of the large shing—
vesselsî both line and trawl, quite alters the situation; that
man’s skill and the extent of the apparatus now in use must
seriously affect the numbers of the food—shes; and that the
condition of to—day is wholly different from that of any pre—
vious period in the history of the sheries.
Similar calamitous forebodings, however, have sporadically,
or it may be endemically, appeared in the history of the British
sheries from time immemorial, and have been followed by 110
disastrous diminution, or the extinction of the most eagerly
pursued species.
The continuance of the sea—shes, under
every circumstance, has not been generally appreciated, and
has not fostered that faith in the marvellous ways of Nature
(Divine Providence) in the sea, or built up that condence
for the future which might have been expected as intelli—
gence advanced.
The mode of viewing the question has
indeed, in some instances, approached that of him who dreaded
that the oxygen would by—and—by be diminished in atmospheric air by the apparently boundless increase of man and
animals.
A calm survey of the situation, however, shows that the cry
concerning the annual diminution of our sh—supply has been
dispelled by the institution of statistics; that the alleged
destruction of spawn
has no basis in fact; that the destruction
.
1
La Culture des Mers, p. 83, et seq.
2
For instance, 90 were added to those at Grimsby and Hull alone in 1897,
making a total of 588 at these two ports. _ Moreover, there is now & tendency to
convert steam liners into trawlers.
.
289
M. Georges Roché, the Inspector—in—Chief of the French
marine sheries, on the other hand, accepte the conclusions1
of the Blue—book in regard to the ten years’ work of the
Fishery Board as if accurate and nal, attributing, for instance,
the great increase of 1887 to the accumulation of shes before
the trawlers had time to affect the offshore.
He, however,
draws attention to the illusion of supposing that the closure
of
the
three—mile
limit will ensure the protection of the
sheries.
But it may be said that the increase of the large shing—
vesselsî both line and trawl, quite alters the situation; that
man’s skill and the extent of the apparatus now in use must
seriously affect the numbers of the food—shes; and that the
condition of to—day is wholly different from that of any pre—
vious period in the history of the sheries.
Similar calamitous forebodings, however, have sporadically,
or it may be endemically, appeared in the history of the British
sheries from time immemorial, and have been followed by 110
disastrous diminution, or the extinction of the most eagerly
pursued species.
The continuance of the sea—shes, under
every circumstance, has not been generally appreciated, and
has not fostered that faith in the marvellous ways of Nature
(Divine Providence) in the sea, or built up that condence
for the future which might have been expected as intelli—
gence advanced.
The mode of viewing the question has
indeed, in some instances, approached that of him who dreaded
that the oxygen would by—and—by be diminished in atmospheric air by the apparently boundless increase of man and
animals.
A calm survey of the situation, however, shows that the cry
concerning the annual diminution of our sh—supply has been
dispelled by the institution of statistics; that the alleged
destruction of spawn
has no basis in fact; that the destruction
.
1
La Culture des Mers, p. 83, et seq.
2
For instance, 90 were added to those at Grimsby and Hull alone in 1897,
making a total of 588 at these two ports. _ Moreover, there is now & tendency to
convert steam liners into trawlers.
.