The other fishermen all laughed at Jack. Their nets had small holes in them, so they caught little fish as well as big ones. The small ones they could sell for making soup and fish cakes. Jack's net only had big holes, so the little fish always escaped back into the sea.
One day the king came to their town and gave a speech. "You must not catch all the little fish," he said. "If you do, they not grow into big fish, and there will be nothing left to eat.
Jack understands this, so I am putting him in charges of all the fisherman."