WORK OF THE ]S;OUTIIU.MBEKLA.ND SEA. FISlIEKlEd COMMITTEE. 73 



great development of North Shields, and the decline of the ordinary 

 fisheries in the smaller villages and towns. 



The three-mile restriction was adopted in 1891, and with the view 

 of ascertaining how far this was to be valuable in restoring the 

 fish to the bays along the coast, Mr. Dent kindly placed one of his 

 steamers at the disposal of the Committee, and personally super- 

 intended the expeditions. The trawl used is an ordinary one of 

 twenty-two feet beam, and a day of eight to nine hours is devoted 

 to each bay. 



The results have previously been published in yearly tables for the 

 information of the Committee, but it will be more valuable for our 

 present purpose to give the results for each bay. They are interesting 

 in that these bays lie side by side, or, at any rate, within a district 

 of forty miles; they are near to the stations of the similar but 

 naturally more elaborate Scottish experiments, and it seems, from 

 Dr. Fulton's investigations on currents, that we should get our supplies 

 from the spawning grounds of the north. There is no necessity, how- 

 ever, of dwelling upon the results. A glance over each of the following 

 tables shows only too plainly that the bye-law has made little 

 improvement in the numbers of the mature fish. It ought to have 

 been stated that the gurnards were not counted in the first two years. 

 Blyth Bay does show an increase in all kinds, practically. Cambois 

 Bay shows an improvement also as regards turbot, soles, dabs, and 

 gurnards, but the plaice have decreased, though they seem again 

 to be improving in numbers. It would be hard to point to any 

 change occurring in regard to the fish of Druridge Bay. The numbers 

 remain very steady for each year. The increase in the plaice of 

 Alnmouth Bay is very marked. Soles are also increasing. Dabs 

 scarcely show any change. In Skate Eoads turbot and soles seem 

 to give better returns, but plaice have decreased. It will be noted that 

 flounders are not recorded for 1895, but it is highly probable that a few 

 occurred and were overlooked, for they are very characteristic of this bay. 



The undersized fish were taken particular note of at last year's 

 excursions. By this term is meant such fish as were caught in the 

 trawl and too small to be retained.* At Alnmouth Bay, on the 23rd July, 

 they were roughly counted after the first haul before being returned to 

 the sea. There were some 20 flounders of 6 in. or less ; some 25 plaice 

 of 7 in. or less ; and 12 gurnards 8 in. or less. It was calculated that 

 quite 100 immature fish were returned to the sea at each haul. It 

 is the custom at these excursions to return the fish which are not 



* It may be a rougli classification, tliis, into mature or saleable, and immature or under- 

 sized ; but in our anxiety to return the small fish as quickly as i)Ossible we do not as a 

 rule make measurements, or even always count them. 



