APPENDIX I. 523 



Trawling Experiments in the Bays. 



Tlie new investigations confirm Mr. Holt's previous report on the 

 following points: — 



(1) Start Bay is not a nursery for small flat fish. Only 4 per cent, 

 of the plaice caught were below 8 inches in length, while 71 per cent, 

 of the plaice were 12 inches in length and over. This species matures 

 at 11 inches. 



(2) Teignmouth Bay and Torbay are nurseries for small plaice. In 

 the former 61 per cent., and in the latter 50 per cent., were less than 

 8 inches in length. Three-quarters of the plaice in these bays were 

 immature, and only 20 per cent, attained a length of 12 inches and 

 over. 



During the last year the preponderance of large fish over small in 

 Start Bay, and of small fish over large in the other bays, was thus 

 even more marked than during the previous investigations five years 

 ago. 



A remarkable feature of the bays last year, to which Dr. Kyle draws 

 attention, was the relative scarcity of medium-sized plaice between 

 8 and 12 inches, as compared with the period covered by Mr. Holt's 

 investigations. A discussion of the probable explanation of this 

 feature must be reserved for the detailed report. 



As was explained at the time of the commencement of the present 

 investigations, no attempt could be made as a result of these experi- 

 ments to provide a direct answer to any question as to the absolute 

 increase or decrease in the abundance of fish on the grounds. The 

 information provided by this report nevertheless points to distinct 

 conclusions as to the probable effect of closure of the bays on the 

 maintenance of the fishery as a whole. 



Statistics of Fish landed. 



Daily returns of the fish landed at Brixham by the small trawlers 

 (Mumble Bees) have been provided by Mr. Will Sanders, the number 

 of trunks being distinguished from the number of baskets. Dr. Kyle 

 reports that the fishermen are accustomed to land their larger fish in 

 the trunks and the small fish in the baskets. He considers that, 

 generally speaking, the plaice above 11 inches are placed in the trunks, 

 and those below that size in the baskets. He further estimates the 

 average number of plaice in the trunks at about 90, and the average 

 number of plaice in the baskets at about 25. From the returns 

 provided by Mr. Sanders he has thus been able to obtain an approxim- 

 ate measure of the numbers of plaice above and below the limit of 



