Daily globe., 1883-07-22

f'TOT. fIucteJ OH EtSN
The address recently delivered by Prof
Huxley at the international fisheries con-
ference in london was an interesting con-
tribution to subject to which increased
attention is now being paid in this coun-
try. Although our early political history
has been largely modified through the in
fluence of this iindustry-for it was the
presence of an abundant supply of fish
that brought the early settlers to New
Englaud-it is only within few years
that scientific attention has been turned to
the question of investigating the natural
laws which regulate the origin, growth and
movement Of fish. Prof. Huxley pointed
out that in no other occupation had so
little been done i'll the wey of improve
ment. Iu the last quarter of a century or
more, agricelture has been completely rev.
olutionlzed, partly by the scientific inves-
tigHtion into the manner in which do
mestic animals and cultivated plants
thrive, and partly by the application of
mechanical contriyances. But the de-
vices now used by those engaged in
the sea fisheries are only slight i'm prove
ment on the methods used by the worlds
inhabitants at time which atendates his
torical records, and Of which the only
traces are found i'll cave or in paleontolO
gical deposits. The fishermen who lived
at this early period of human existence
were acquainted with the use of the hook,
the fish spear and the net, articles that are
still employed by the vast majority of
those who make their living by this form
of industry. Another fact brought out
by Prof. Huxley is that our knowledge of
the habits Of fish is so slight and super
ficial that very large part of the legisla
tion which Is intended to protect fisheries
and continue the supply of food is not
.nly burdensOme upon those whom it is
intended to restrain, but is also complete
ly useless, for, if systematically enforced,
it would fail of accom- plishIng it's object.
SO far as the sea fisheries are concerned,
Prof. Huxley seems to he of the opinion
that It Is not III the least possible that they
can be exhausted. He asserts that the en-
tire catch of Goldfish on the coast of Nor
way in the course Of a year is but an in
significant fraction of the number of fish
that visit that locality; that the entire
yearly catch of Norwegian herrings would
not be sufficient to supply one weeks eat
ing to half of an ordinary shoal of cod
| fish. In other words, mans interference
| in the economy of nature, so far as relates
to ocean fisheries, is too slight to be of
any importance. The area is practically
unlimited, and by means of fish preserves
| it has been found that an acre of water
can be made to produce several times
more food, in weight, than can be obtain
ed from the most fertile acre of land.
Even when carried on upon large
scale, the results are exceed
| ingly profitable. At one point
on the Adriatic sea there Is fish preserve
formed out of a large, shallow lagoon,
which covers 10000 acres, and for long
series of years there has been obtained
from this area not less than five hundred
weight of fish to the acre. That is to say,
double the weight of cheese or meat which
could have been obtained from the same
area of good pasture land in the same
time. Of shore fisheries Prof. Huxley
does not speak so confidently. Cod, her
ring, mackerel and the like may be mex
haustible as regards quantity; but this
statement does not hold good of Holsters,
oysters, shad, salmon and other fish which
are obtained near the shore. It must be
SAID, however, that the English scientist,
although he has made careful study of
| the nSherles question, Is no6 strong
believer in legal regulations. He
believes that, in most cases, We
know to little about the character of fish
to legislate wisely for their protection, and
hence that many of the laws in force are
not only burdensome, but foolish. He
said a commission to which he belonged,
which was appointed by the English gov
ernment some years ago to examine into
the fisheries, recommended the abolition
of all restrictive measures. We should
suppose, however, that restrictions might
be serviceable if they could be properly
applied. 1t would seem, however, to be
Prof. Huxley's belief that there is sufficient
profit in the business, and pisciculture can
be so readily undertaken, that if proper
scientific investigation is turned to the
subject, enough people can be induced to
enter the business and establish fish pre-
serves as to make the extinction of any
| fish an impossibility.