16 



HERRING INVESTIGATIONS. 



Size, Age and Maturity. 



By B. STOREOW. 



During 1914, samples of herrings landed at North Shields 

 have been examined at the Laboratory at the request of the Board 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries. The data obtained have been 

 forwarded to the Board, but it was thought desirable to make 

 some statement with regard to size, age and maturity to allow 

 of comparison being made between these fish and those examined 

 during 1913. 



As in 1913, ordinary commercial samples were obtained for 

 the drift net herring and also for sample 10, as the catch from which 

 it was taken was not sorted before being placed on the market. 

 In taking the samples of trawled herring, samples 12 and 13, the 

 quantity of each trade category, large, medium and small, was 

 first ascertained, and the samples taken to include various propor- 

 tions of each class. 



Altogether, thirteen samples, comprising some 3,200 herrings, 

 have been examined. 



The first of the samples was taken during the period when the 

 herring drifters were line fishing, the herrings then being caught 

 for bait, and the surplus marketed when the fine fish were landed. 

 Although the fishermen assured me that the herrings had been 

 taken indiscriminately for bait, it must not be forgotten when 

 dealing with this sample, that the tendency would be for the fisher- 

 men to use the small for bait in order to obtain a higher price for 

 the remainder ; there is therefore a possibiHty that the sample 

 is not representative of the shoal fished as regards age composition 

 and size. 



Sample 2 was examined to obtain some knowledge of the small 

 fish which are usually caught at the beginning of the herring 

 season. 



The fish landed during the summer herring fishing, from June 

 to August, and captured by drift nets, are represented by samples 

 3 to 9. 



