NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 129 
sea boats, to arrive at a conclusion as to the average size at which 
the fish reaches maturity. This appears to be about 9 inches, and 
fish of a less size are seldom brought to market. Considerable 
numbers are sometimes caught, but I have no doubt that a great 
proportion of immature whiting escape through the meshes of the 
ordinary deep-sea trawl. 
II. On tue Iceranp Traw. Fishery, with some REMARKS ON THE 
History or Norra Sea Trawiina Grounps. 
A result of the ever increasing scarcity of trawl fish in the North 
Sea has been that the more enterprising members of the fishing 
community are constantly seeking new grounds. 
Thus in past years boats have been pushed out from Hull and 
Grimsby to the west of England, the west of Ireland, and during 
last year as far south as the Bay of Biscay; but though I am con- 
vinced that there is a great future for trawling on some of the 
off-shore grounds of the west of Ireland, I am not aware that up to 
the present time the results have been sufficiently remunerative to 
warrant any great influx of boats in any of the directions mentioned. 
On the other hand, the boats which have pushed to the northward 
have been infinitely more successful. In this direction the line- 
fishers have always been the pioneers of the trade. 
Thus the Great Fisher Bank, long known as a fine lining ground, 
was accidentally discovered to be suitable for trawling some twenty 
years ago, and it is only within about the last fourteen years that it 
seems to have been regularly trawled. 
It has chiefly been fished in the winter, since it seems to be most 
productive at that season, whilst the east coast grounds have afforded 
occupation to the fleets in the summer, 
Nowadays, however, the eastern grounds have so deteriorated, 
and public opinion has been so strongly directed against the destruc- 
tion of undersized fish on these grounds, that the discovery of new 
grounds for the summer has been a matter of the highest import- 
ance, 
The discovery of the splendid lining grounds (for halibut, &c.), com- 
monly known as the Faroe “ banks,’’ was followed some years later by 
the opening up of the southern coasts of Iceland for similar operations, 
and for some years past Iceland has been the chief source of our 
supply of halibut during the summer months. 
Trawling vessels which have been sent from time to time as far 
north as the Orkneys do not seem to have encountered much luck, 
though it appears that Scotch vessels have been more successful in 
this direction, Trawling has also been carried on, but as yet with 
