v. 



CHAPTER XII 



THE APPAEENT EFFECT OF THE WAE ON THE 

 PLAICE FISHEEY 



The Ministry of Agriculture in an ' inspired ' communique 

 published in the Fish Trades Gazette of 8th May 1920, claims 

 that its statistics have established two facts : 



1 . That plaice are now more numerous than they were before 

 the war. 



2. That the average size has increased. 



They base the first allegation on the fact that the average 

 daily catch per day's absence from poit compared as follows : 



Steanf Trawlers. Sailing Trawlers { 1st Class) 

 Cwt. Cwt. 



1913 . . . 2-09 1-44 



1919 . . . 4-52 2-49 



It is certain that the numbers of vessels fishing were smaller 

 in 1919 than in 1913. Yet the catch was (in round numbers) : 



1913 .... 34,900 tons. 

 1919 .... 33,400 „ 



And these figures/ so far as they go, support the contention 

 that there are more plaice in the sea than there were in 1913. 

 As to the alleged increase in the average size of fish, the trade 

 categories — which are only very roughly reliable — compare as 

 follows : 



So that the trade has classified as ' small ' very few of the 

 plaice landed in 1919. 



The Ministry draws attention to the fact that the small- 

 plaice grounds off Holland and Denmark were not fished in 

 1919, and that their closure has affected the table. But they 

 are convinced — and all North Sea fishermen are convinced with 

 them — that the proportion of small plaice now landed is much 

 less than it used to be. 



^ But we do not know what grounds the 1919 plaice came from. 



