THE IMPOVEKISHMENT OF THE SEA. 55 



For the East Coast fisheries there was a steady increase, both in the 

 weight of fish annually landed and in the catching power devoted to 

 the industry. But whereas the increase in fish amounted to only 

 about 30 per cent, during- the decade, the catching power nearly 

 trebled in the same period. The result is that for each unit of catch- 

 ing power the average annual catch has fallen from GO'6 tons in 1889 to 

 32-3 tons in 1898. The fall was rapid both in the three first and three 

 last years of the decade, but the three middle years of the decade (1893, 

 1894, and 1895) maintained practically the same average as the year 

 1892, showing even a minute increase in 1893 and 1894. 



The year 1893, it will be remembered, was characterised by two 

 features, each of which probably exerted a special influence on the 

 East Coast fisheries, viz. the exploitation of the Iceland trawling 

 grounds and an exceptionally long warm summer — the warmest spring,* 

 according to the Keports of the Meteorological Office, for a period of 

 thirty-three years at least. To these may perhaps be added an in- 

 creased activity (after a period of self-imposed abstinence) of the 

 trawlers on the Eastern grounds, whence large quantities of small fish 

 were landed in that year (Eighth Eeport of the Inspectors of Sea 

 Fisheries, p. 11). Each of these circumstances must have contributed 

 to swell the catches in 1893, the first and third directly, and the second 

 by its effect on the inshore migrations of flat-fish, and on the rate of 

 growth of these as well as of other bottom fishes. 



These suggestions are confirmed by a study of the Board of Trade's 

 returns of the quantities of the different kinds of fish annually landed 

 on the East Coast. Since 1888, the year when the statistics for plaice 

 were first distinguished, there have been only two years in which the 

 returns of sole, turbot, plaice, and brill have all increased beyond the 

 returns for the previous year, viz. 1891 and 1893. But the increase 

 of plaice in 1893 was unequalled within the period, and greatly 

 exceeded the increase in 1891, the total catch rising suddenly from 

 621,000 cwts. in 1892 to nearly 759,000 cwts. in 1893, the previous 

 maximum having been 648,000 cwts. in 1891. This exceptional in- 

 crease was not due to any unusual increase in the catching power. 

 Indeed, as the weather in 1893 was unfavourable to the voyages of 

 sailing vessels (from lack of wind in the summer, and winter gales), 

 the relative increase in catching power, so far as the shallower waters 

 are concerned, should probably be less rather than more than the in- 

 crease shown in my tables, a fact which renders the general increase 

 in the quantities of flat fishes landed all the more remarkable. The 

 Iceland catches no doubt contributed largely to increase the captures 

 of plaice, but could have no effect upon the supply of soles, turbot, and 

 brill ; so that the general increase of all kinds of flat fishes in 1893 



* See Table G (temperatures), p. 68. 



