CHAPTER VII 



THE STOCK OF PLAICE 



The steam-trawler catch on the three chief grounds has 

 fluctuated as follows : 



The Enghsh statistics, therefore, such as they are, give httle 

 indication of a continuous diminution of the actual stock in 

 the North Sea. Nor do the statistics from the other main 

 plaice-grounds give anything hke an unbroken curve. From 

 a statistical point of view the period is overshort, and con- 

 tinuous observations will now need to start de novo owing to 

 the ' break ' between 1914 and 1919. 



The life-history of the plaice, so far as it is known, has been 

 discovered by naturalists, more particularly those working 

 with the International' Council for the Exploration of the Sea 

 since 1902. Statistical investigations, trawhng experiments, 

 and experiments with marked plaice down to 1911 are mean- 

 while admitted generally to have indicated that the stock of 



' The 1920 catch was: 



England and Wales. Scotland. Total Britain. 

 45,436 4,006 50,042 



