70 
arranged to show for each week the number of catches made, the 
total catches, and the average catch. In connexion with the 
catches made by Dutch luggers the fishing grounds are given ; 
these are referred to by letters and numbers, and the corresponding 
latitude and longitude are given. 
For North Shields, data are given for three years. At the 
beginning of the season, which is taken as commencing when 
drifters depend solely upon the herrings caught, the bulk of the 
catches are taken from 50 to 100 miles from the port. Catches 
decrease until towards the end of May, when they increase, and 
this change is accompanied by a change in the fishing grounds ; 
the vessels now fish from 12 to 30 miles from the port. 
The data given for 1919 show increased catches towards the 
end of May at a time which coincided with a ‘change of fishing 
grounds to waters nearer the coast. During June the catches 
decreased, and it was not until the beginning of July that the 
fishery improved. The sudden change which then took place 
is taken as being due to a wave of migrants coming into the 
district. These migrants may have remained in Northumberland 
waters, or they may have moved to other grounds, but it is quite 
clear that they were not present in sufficient numbers to keep the 
fishery at a high standard during the middle of July. Towards 
the end of July the catches increased, and the improvement 
gradually continued until the middle of August, in which month, 
in the last week, there was a sudden fall in catches. This was 
followed by an increase in the first week of September, and then 
a decrease until the vessels landing at North Shields commenced 
to fish the grounds off Whitby and Scarborough. 
The years 1920 and 1921 show, practically, the same changes 
in the catches made throughout the season. There are differences 
but the data given show that the fishery depends upon waves of 
migrants coming into the district. The May migrants of 1920 
were about a week later than those of 1919, and in 1921 their 
numbers were insignificant. In July of both years the shoals 
were a fortnight later than in 1919, and lateness seems to have 
marked the migrations which gave the August and September 
catches. In 1921] vessels were fishing the Whitby and Scarborough 
grounds as early as 31st August, and in the first week of September 
these were the chief grounds fished. 
