29 783 and in 1916 the necessity arose of re-establishing the service at its former strength and borrowing British officers to replace those who had joined the army.

In 1917 the newly-created Frontier Districts Administration was made responsible for maintaining pnblic security and preventing contraband in the Libyan and Arabian deserts, duties which had up to that time been performed by the coastguards.

During the last year the coastguards have gradually abandoned their war-time functions, and are now engaged in their usiial activities, with the exception of those which have been assumed by the Frontier Districts Administration, and the policing of the eastern and western harbours of Alexandria, which has been entrusted to the Alexandria City Police.

War conditions necessitated certain mechanical developments in the Coastguard Service, such as the linking by telephone of all stations along the coast, and the introduction of motor transport, which will be of permanent value to the Department.

Fisheries. Until recently the sea fisheries of Fgypt and those of the northern lakes, Menzala, Burullos, Edku, and Mariut, were administered by the coastguards, and those of Lake Karun, the Nile, canals, drains, and basins by another department of the Ministry of Finance.

Early in 1919, with a view to the better development of this important source of food supplies, a special Fisheries Department was created, to which the administration of all the Egyptian fisheries was entrusted, and the Coastguards Administration, embodying this Department, took the name of the Coastguards and Fisheries Service. A technical inspector has been appointed, and is now engaged upon the scientific study of Egyptian fisheries.

Though the lake fislieries, owing, probably, to the introduction of more fresh water and to more effective protection during the breeding seasons,, have become increasingly productive during the last six years; they are £umost wholly dependent upon immigration of fish from the sea, and may, therefore, at any time oe adversely affected by influences beyond control; but endeavours will be made to keep open for a longer period the passages from the lakes to the sea, which normally close for several months during the summer.

The number of boats fishing the four northern lakes has increased steadily during the last ten years, and is now 3,801 as against 2,373 in 1910.

In the summer of 1919 the first shallow-draught inspection launch was put into commission on Lake Menzala, and it was soon discovered that some 90 per cent, of the nets used by the fishermen were of a closer mesh than that prescribed by the regulations. The contention of the fishermen that they could not earn their livelihood with nets of the prescribed mesh was found to have some justification. A Commission of six members, three of whom were elected by the fishermen, was appointed to examine this question and other grievances, and the regulation was meanwhile suspended. The Commission is still sitting, and is expected to acquire much information of value to the Fisheries Service.

With regard to Sea fisheries, a complete record has been obtained of the landings of the Port Said trawlers during 1919; this is the first record of its kind for Egyptian sea fisheries, and throws important light upon the occurrence and distribution of the valuable food-fishes of these waters. The migration of the so-called sardines, a fishery which supports more than a thousand boats, will form the subject of enquiry in the coming summer.

The Fisheries Service has recently begun experiments with a view to testing the suitability of certain sites for the planting of the edible oyster, and has drawn up plans for a survey on an extended scale of the valuable sponge beds off the northwestern coast.

It is the policy of the Fisheries Service to encourage private enterprise; thus a factory has been erected at Kosseir for canning the crayfish which abound in that region, and a company at Port Said has been able to experiment with great success in modern processes of brine-freezing. The same company are understood to have the intention of bringing two motor trawlers out from England; these vessels will be capable of working further afield than the sailing craft, and their fortunes will he watched with interest.

11. Survey Department. With the completion of the first cadastral survey of the whole of Egypt in 1906, considerations of time became much less important, and since then the history of the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online. Copyright (c) 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.