140 NOETH SEx\. INVESTIGATIONS. 



On the more northern grounds, which are worked by the Grimsby 

 and Hull boats, the proportion of plaice below 13 in. is certainly 

 smaller. Mr. Holt estimated it at 10 per cent., and he was well 

 aware that his proposed limit of 13 in. involved the rejection of this 

 proportion. But the evidence I have collected shows that the pro- 

 portion is often higher than this. In the sample from the Dogger 

 Bank, of which the measurements are given above, the proportion is 35 

 per cent., and the samples I described in my paper in the previous 

 number show that a considerable number of plaice of 10, 11, and 12 in. 

 are landed from the Dogger Bank, and, in fact, from all grounds less 

 than 30 fms. in depth in summer. 



It is perfectly true, as Mr. Holt pointed out, that the enforcement of 

 a size limit of 13 in. would prevent English trawlers from fishing on 

 the German coast in summer, and so prevent the great destruction 

 of small plaice which they carry on. But with regard to the fishing on 

 these grounds by German boats, I have received from Herr Diige 

 the following important information, which will be of some assistance 

 in forming an opinion concerning the result of keeping English vessels 

 away, supposing the restriction to be put into operation only in Britain. 



Sixty-three steam trawlers fish out of Geestemiinde, and 600 to 700 

 sailing boats go there annually, from harbours on the Elbe. The 

 steamers fish the whole year. The grounds worked in the different 

 months are : 



January : east and north-west sides of Dogger Bank. 



February and March : Great Fisher Bank. 



April : Horn Beef. 



May : Horn Pieef, and grounds twenty miles from East Frisian coasts. 



June and July : Horn Eeef and Skager Back. 



August and September : Mud-bank to the north of Heligoland, and 



the east and north-east sides of the Dogger Bank. 

 October : Mud-bank, Horn Eeef, and Sylt ground. 

 November and December : Horn Eeef, Sylt, and Jutland outer 



ground. 



The German steamers seldom go west of 3° east longitude from 

 Greenwich. The grounds off the Horn Eeef, and the bank to the north of 

 Heligoland, are much fished, those directly adjoining the coast less. 



The sailing boats, on the other hand, fish from March to October 

 almost exclusively within the distance of 3 to 30 miles from the East 

 Frisian and Schleswig-Holstein coasts, and seldom go west of 

 Terschelling, or north of Fano. The reason of this is that the steamers 

 fish mostly for haddock and cod, while the sailing boats seek for plaice 

 and soles, and take the former to marlcet alive. 



