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30
Except as to the constitution of the proposed Authority for the control of
shell fisheries, the recommendations of the Royal Commission embodied in
their Report followed closely the suggestions put forward in evidence by
your Medical Officer, as the following extracts will show :—
The law on the subject may be summed up thus : "generally speaking,
"the statute law does not prohibit the discharge of filthy liquids into tidal
"waters," but the Local Government Board may make an Order extending
the provisions of the Rivers Pollution Act, 1876, to tidal water, or the
Sea Fisheries Committee may make bye-laws for " prohibiting or regu"lating
the deposit or discharge of any substance detrimental to sea-fish or
"sea-fishing," subject to the approval of the Board of Trade.
The Commission are satisfied that injuries to health and to fisheries
may be caused by the discharge of unpurified sewage in tidal waters,
and that some alteration of the law is required.
They also have no doubt that shellfish which have become contaminated
by sewage may convey Enteric Fever and other illness to human
beings if eaten either raw or in an imperfectly cooked condition, and that
there can be no doubt that the evil is sufficiently grave to demand a
remedy.
The remedies suggested may be divided into three general classes:—
(1) Purification of the sewage before its discharge into tidal waters.
In the interim Report dated July, 1901, the Commission pointed out
that effluents from sewage farms, as well as effluents from artificial
purifying processes, must be regarded as potentially dangerous, inasmuch
as they may still contain disease organisms, and that in such cases,
either the sewage outfall must be removed or the layings closed.
(2) Seizure and destruction of unwholesome shellfish exposed for
sale.
They think that the provisions of the Public Health Act are
practically useless for preventing the sale of contaminated shellfish.
In paragraph 38, the opinion is expressed that no general enactment
as to treatment of sewage, or as to seizure of unwholesome food, would
meet the necessities of the case.
The remedy must be sought in connection with the waters, foreshores,
pits, ponds and layings themselves.
(3) The setting up of a competent Authority to deal with all
tidal waters, with power to control foreshores, and to close dangerous
beds, pits, ponds and layings, and in certain circumstances to require
treatment of sewage.