OF THE GRIMSBY TRAWL FISHERY. 417 
As arule, codling do not form a very important item in a trawler’s 
voyage. They are to be had everywhere, but nowhere in very 
large numbers,—a few boxes, perhaps only half a box, being a 
common feature in a voyage. Considering it probable that there 
might be a regular migration of these fish to the grounds mentioned, 
I commenced to take account of all trawled codling brought to 
market, but there has been no recurrence of anything like a similar 
congregation of the fish, though the total number caught has not 
diminished, as the following figures show : 
Boxes. Boxes. 
1892. November (last week only). 180 1893. November, less 1 day . 2491 
December c 715) December, less 8 days . 2730 
1893. January : . 1605 ; 1894. January : - 38096 
February : . 1763 February : - 2607 
March, less 6 days . 2037 March, less 6 days - 2363 
April . 0 7) 596 April, less 4 days . - 1093 
May, less 1 day . . 1204 May (record imperfect). 
June, less 1 day . . 1490 June, less 1 day . . 986 
July, less 1 day . . 1838 diy é . £708 
August, less 5 days ela, August, less 2 day . 2140 
September, less 7 days . 2123 September : . 2636 
October ° . 2939 
The chief deduction that can be made from the above figures is 
that, in the absence of any recurrence of large catches from parti- 
cular grounds, the congregation noted in the winter of 1892 cannot 
be regarded as a regular feature in the life history of the species. 
It was not associated with any unusually severe weather. 
About 100 fish, of about 12 to 20 inches, go to a box in the above 
figures, but as I have no information as to the total number of cod 
landed by trawlers, we cannot formulate proportions of mature and 
immature fish. We can say, however, that there is a considerable 
destruction of immature fish, not specially confined, save in excep- 
tional seasons, to any particular grounds, and certainly not to those 
on the Hastern side. 
The small fish destroyed are not of course confined to those 
which are landed, as unsaleable fish are simply pitched overboard. 
On clean grounds most of the very small codling pass through the 
meshes of the net, but on a part of the Great Fisher Bank where 
the ground is covered with dense growth of ‘‘ lemon-weed ” (flustra 
foliacea), I have seen quantities of cod from 2 to 4 inches long 
brought up and destroyed. 
The haddock becomes mature at about J4 inches, but is market- 
able from about 10 inches upwards. Very few of less than 10 
inches are brought ashore, but considerable numbers, down to about 
eight inches or a little less, are caught, and of course are destroyed. 
NEW SERIES.—VOL. III, NO. V (EXTRA NUMBER). 33 
