YOUNG MAEKETABLE FISH 59 



immediate imposition of a 10 or lOJ-inch size limit to apply to 

 all vessels. In addition to this the Danes wished to close the 

 chief nursery grounds to steam trawlers only. 



2. The Dutch, represented by their Inspector General of 

 Fisheries, took a shghtly different line. They calculated some- 

 how that an 8 or 8J-inch hmit would reduce the steam trawler 

 catch by 1-2 per cent. only. Trawlers will go, they said, to the 

 small-plaice grounds even if that limit is imposed, catch the 

 small plaice, and throw them overboard. The Dutch are there- 

 fore in direct disagreement with the trawler owners most con- 

 cerned, who were in 1908 unanimous that nothing of the kind 

 would occur. And they are also in disagreement with that 

 great authority Heincke,^ who stated, with the owners, that 

 a size limit would make small-plaiise catching an unprofitable 

 enterprise not worth undertaking. The Dutch suggestion was 

 that the whole European coast-line within the 10-fathom line 

 from the Skagerrak to Cape Grisnez — an area of 9,833 square 

 miles nautical— should be closed to steam trawlers. ^ Of this 

 area the portion south of the Borkum Flats (say 265 square 

 miles) is comparatively little fished by British vessels. That 

 between the Skagerrak and Horn Keef produced plenty of large 

 fish, both round and flat, right in Jbo witliin five or six miles of 

 the shore ; and the rest consisted of the ' small-plaice grounds '. 

 In order to enforce this closure a blockade was to b.e made effectual 

 by the use of the destroyer flotillas of the Powers. This closure 

 was to apply to all "steam trawlers, but not to sailing trawlers ; 

 for whom the introduction of a size limit was suggested. 



The Dutch think, curiously enough, that their suggestion 

 may not be accepted. In that case they would substitute the 

 imposition of the following size limits : 



For steam and motor vessels ..... 10-3 inches 

 For sailing vessels, October to March .... 7-9 „ 



„ „ April to September . . . - 8-6 „ 



In Dutch territorial waters all trawling is to be forbidden except 

 to sailing trawlers fitted with ' wells ' — in which fish may be 

 kept alive. 



The hiterfiational CounciVs Plaice Committee 

 The Danish and Dutch proposals went before the Plaice 

 Committee of the International Council in London. It was 

 composed as follows : 



Chairman, Dr. Redeke (Holland). Mr. Holt (Ireland). 



Mr. Borley \ .-ny ^ a\ ^- Hamman (Belgium). 



Mr. Russell i (J^ngland). j)j. Johansen (Denmark). 



Dr. Wemyss Fulton (Scotland). Professor Joubin (France). 



* In his Report to the International Council, 1913. 



