OF THE GRIMSBY TRAWL FISHERY. 383 
Committee of 18938, and on that evidence, and any other of which I 
have knowledge, I do not think that one conclusion of the Committee 
is at all likely to be criticised. It is to the effect that ‘‘ there 
seems to be no doubt that a considerable diminution has occurred 
amongst the more valuable classes of flat-fish, especially among soles 
and plaice. . . . It is true that there will not be found a great 
falling off of the bulk of these fish landed on the Kast Coast. But 
the appliances for catching them have of recent years been greatly 
increased in size and efficiency, and the fishing-grounds have been 
largely extended in area, trawlers going as far as the coast of 
Iceland to the north, and to the Portuguese coast in the south.” = — 
Such evidence as is available consists, therefore, solely of the recol- 
lections and impressions of those engaged in the trade, and the last 
part of the quotation from the 1893 Report illustrates the total in- 
adequacy of the present system of fish statistics. The total quantity 
of fish landed at any one port may be found in the Board of Trade 
returns, and, in a good many instances, the different kinds of fish are 
separately enumerated. But, beyond the fact that the fish were 
landed at such and sucha port, there is no hint as to where they may 
have been caught. Nor is there any attempt to discriminate 
between large and small fish. Moreover, several kinds of fish, which, 
although perhaps of small importance in former years, now represent 
a considerable item in the profits of a fishery, are not thought 
worthy of separate enumeration, but are lumped in one column. 
Thus lemon ‘ soles”? and witches, both valuable fish and exclusively 
products of trawling, are associated with skate, catfish, conger-eels, 
and a host of others, of which some are largely caught by line-fishing. 
Whatever else is neglected, I should say that it was at least essen- 
tial to distinguish between the products of distinct fisheries at large 
centres. At the small inshore fishing centres, where everyone takes 
a hand at whatever kind of fishing is possible, it is of less importance 
to do so; but the difficulty in any case would hardly arise, since 
comparatively little inshore trawling is carried on, and drift-net fish 
are practically confined to two kinds, which are already distinguished 
in the returns. Fishermen belonging to the large centres are, for the 
most part, strictly confined to one method of fishing—trawling, line- 
fishing, drift-netting, or whatever it may be,—and the different 
branches are so distinct in their interests that no effort should be 
spared to distinguish them in the returns. I do not know of any 
difficulty of doing so, provided the staff entrusted with the prepara- 
tion of the statistics were in any sense adequate to the task ; and, 
except on the theory of want of funds, the existing system courts the 
criticism of having been devised in some ignorance of the industry 
with which it is supposed to deal. 
