THE IMMATURE FISH QUESTION. Be 
has been a much greater falling off in drift-net fish than in bottom 
fish, considering all the coasts of England and Wales together. The 
item bottom fish increased greatly till 1889, but has fallen off in the 
following two years. 
If we examine the various coasts separately, we find that the 
results for the east coast are closely similar to those for all coasts 
together. In the total quantity of fish landed, there was practically 
no decrease until 1889, but a decrease in 1890 and 1891. The total 
England and Wales—Kast Coast. 
| | 
1886 1887 1888 | 1889 | 1890 1891 | 1892 
Tol CL: Di ie eee ea 
Brill 9 c | — = | = = 11,746 13,531 14,590 
Turbot . : . 55,524) 57,561) 48,760 44,272 40,763 47,594 52,780 
Soles c A | 82,677| 67,874) 52,151; 47,747, 46,187). 61,287| 52,934 
Other prime fish . 364,557, 109,424 105,057 25,848 34,391; 30,197) 40,265 
Total prime fish .. 502,758) 234,859) 205,968 117,867 133,087, 152,609 160,569 
| 
Plaice . ; oo = 628,658 518,688 548,784, 647,915 620,951 
Total except shellfish 5,321,656 5,157,678 5,260,350 5,223,635 4,719,237 4,670,646 5,105,814 
| 
| 
Drift-net fish . . 1,965,657 |1,628,102)1,664,854 1,790,350 1,307,410 1,100,410 1,388,937 
‘Bottom fish . . 3,895,999 3,529,576 3,595,496 3,433,285 3,411,827 3,570,236 3,716,877 
| | 
ae Lal | | 
quantity of soles was greater in 1891 than in any other year except 
1886 and 1887. The quantity of turbot was less than in 1886, 1887, 
and 1888, but greater than in 1889 or 1890. The quantity of plaice 
is at a maximum in the last year of the series. 
On the south coast the total quantity of all fish except shellfish 
has greatly decreased, but the decrease has been in drift-net fish, 
not in flat fishes or trawled fish generally. The quantities of turbot 
and soles landed has greatly and steadily increased, although there 
was a slight falling off in 1891. Plaice, on the other hand, has 
decreased. 
The west coast shows an enormous and steady increase in the 
total quantity of fish landed, the amount in 1891 being more than 
three times that of 1886. The increase has been largely in 
mackerel. With regard to flat-fish, turbot and soles have very 
