142 XOT^TII SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 



a large proportion of those lauded at Lowestoft. A higher limit than 

 11 in. does not seem practicable, and the question is, would that limit 

 do any good ? The difficulty, of course, is that which has so often 

 been mentioned, that the fish would be usually dead when thrown over- 

 board, and a limit to do good must prevent fishing on grounds where 

 the small plaice abound. In the voyage of the s.s. John Bull, on the 

 grounds to the north of Heligoland, plaice below 10 in. actually were 

 thrown overboard, and as I saw myself, mostly dead. Nevertheless, 

 vessels are often tempted to go near shore and fill their holds with such 

 small plaice, when there are not enough larger plaice, soles, and other 

 fish to make a profitable cargo. A limit of 11 in. would, I believe, be 

 of distinct benefit in preventing such a practice. Unfortunately, as I 

 mentioned in the account of my cruise on the John Bull, on the 

 Eastern Grounds soles are usually more plentiful, where the plaice are 

 smallest, and I do not see how to prevent vessels fishing for the soles 

 and throwing the plaice overboard. Some of the plaice thrown over- 

 board certainly live to grow larger. 



The limit of 11 in. would have certain distinct advantages in 

 addition to the above. It would prevent almost entirely the capture 

 of small plaice below this size, which goes on in English territorial 

 waters by small boats, and where it is not advisable to stop shrimp or 

 inshore trawling altogether, plaice below the limit could be returned to 

 the water alive. In my previous paper I suggested a limit of 10 in., 

 and still believe that even that limit would be of some benefit, but 

 after collecting more extensive evidence and further considering the 

 matter, I have come to the conclusion that a limit of 11 in. would be 

 both practicable and beneficial for the North Sea, and could be applied 

 with equal benefit and no greater difficulty to the South Coast. As a 

 limit of 10 in. is already in force in Denmark, it ought to be possible, in 

 time, for all the nations interested to agree to adopt the same limit of 

 11 or 10 in. for plaice. 



There is probably more chance of soles surviving, if thrown over- 

 board, than of plaice. 



The evidence shows that there is no such wholesale destruction of 

 small soles in extra-territorial waters, as of plaice on the German 

 grounds, but a considerable number of a length of 8 in. or less are 

 captured and taken to market in territorial waters, as shown above at 

 Lowestoft. The limit of Sin. is not sufficiently above the limit of 

 saleability to be of much benefit, while a limit of 12 in. would be 

 unduly high. A limit of 10 in. would be beneficial. 



There can be no doubt that the capture of such large numbers of 

 undersized turbot and brill on the German grounds is extremely 

 wasteful, and prejudicial to the general supply of larger fish. Such 



