56 THE IMMATURE FISH QUESTION. 
from this table that the total quantity of all fish exclusive of shell- 
fish shows fluctuations, but not steady increase or decrease. It is 
true that the quantity for 1891 is the least of the six totals, but the 
difference is not great, and the fluctuations in the other five years 
show that no definite importance can be attached to it. The 
inclusion or exclusion of the item salmon makes no appreciable 
difference in the result, but it is puzzling to find that there is no 
separate item for salmon in the year 1891, and no explanation of the 
omission is to be found in the memorandum which precedes the tables. 
It will be seen that the figures under the item “ Prime fish not 
separately distinguished ” are so irregular that it is quite impossible 
to understand them. The cause of the irregularity hes evidently in 
changes in the method of classifying and estimating the fish followed 
by the returning officers. We cannot believe that certain kinds of 
fish constantly included under this item have fallen off to such an 
extent. We must conclude that this item has been enormously 
diminished by the abstraction from it of increasingly greater quan- 
tities which have been included under the special items. For 
practical purposes, then, this item is useless. If we look at the item 
soles, we find that the quantity for 1891 was greater than for any 
year except 1886 and 1887, so that on the whole there has been no 
very great decrease. Exactly the same is true of turbot. Assum- 
ing the figures to be reliable, however, there is a decrease in these 
items since 1886. Plaice has only been separately distinguished 
since 1888, and the annual total shows an increase, the figures for 
1891 being the maximum. Brill has only been separately distinguished 
for two years, and nothing can therefore be said about it. Itisa 
remarkable fact that there is no mention of lemon soles as a separate 
item, although these fish are sold separately at most of the fishing 
ports, and form an important proportion of the total catch of the 
deep sea trawlers. Moreover the fishing industry includes lemon 
soles among the flat fishes for which protection is demanded. We 
may note that the total value of the fish landed has increased enor- 
mously in the six years, the value in 1891 being three quarters of a 
million pounds greater than in 1886. 
As it is trawl-fishing which is chiefly concerned in the present 
agitation I have added together the quantities under the items 
mackerel, herrings, pilchards, and sprats, and given the result sepa- 
rately as the total of drift-net fish, and given the remainder of the 
whole quantity as the total of bottom fish. The latter item includes 
certain other fish which are not bottom fish, such as salmon and 
mullet ; but the quantities of these are relatively small, so that the 
figures I have obtained as bottom fish probably represent fairly well 
the total catch of deep sea trawlers. It will be seen, then, that there 
