438 EXAMINATION OF THE PRESENT STATE 
Now, among flat-fishes it is the plaice which (as constituting, 
with the haddock, the trawler’s ‘‘ staff of lhfe’’) stands in the 
greatest need of protection, yet it will be conceded that we should 
not be justified in so enlarging the mesh, for the benefit of young 
plaice, as to deprive the fisherman of actually mature soles. 
Besides this, no mere enlargement of mesh, associated with the 
apparent opportunity of escape for the species to be protected, 
would serve the purpose. A net ashore, dry, and with no strain on 
its meshes, is a very different affair from the same net in actual 
use, towed along at the rate of two or three miles an hour, with a 
hundredweight or so of fish and assorted rubbish in the cod end. 
It may seem to be the easiest thing in the world to protect a plaice 
of, say 4 inches in breadth, 7. e. about 9 inches in circumference, 
by making the meshes of the cod end of the same circumference. 
Judging from the appearance of the dry net, the fish should have no 
difficulty in pushing its way out; but, as a matter of fact, when 
the strain is on, the sides of the meshes are practically closed. 
It has been contended that, as the vessel rises and falls on the 
swell, there is an alternate strain and relaxation on the mesh ; pro- 
bably this is to some extent true, but to a very small extent only, 
as, when we take into consideration the length and weight of 
warp out, it seems reasonable to suppose that by the time the 
motive power is communicated to the net it is to all intents and 
purposes continuous. However this may be, the fact remains that 
though the sole (which never ceases to hunt for a loophole of escape 
until it either finds one or jams itself inextricably in the “ pockets”’), 
may escape, a plaice of the same actual circumference does not. It 
is certainly true that with every enlargement of the mesh a larger 
proportion of small flat-fish escape ; but it is equally true that, to 
ensure the escape of any significant number, the enlargement has 
to be carried to such an extent, that the net becomes absolutely 
useless for the capture of the narrower and more active species. 
In fact, the relation of size of mesh to size of fish caught, seems to 
be nearer, in the case of plaice and dabs, to the greatest possible 
circumference (tv. e. as measured lengthways) than to the least 
circumference of the fish; and we may safely say that a net 
successfully devised for the escape of undersized plaice would 
catch no soles at all. Much less, therefore, is it practicable to pro- 
tect young turbot and brill by this method. 
There is, however, no doubt that an increase in the size of the 
mesh is beneficial to small round fish, though even in this case | 
do not think it is practicable to carry it to such an extent as to pro- 
tect, even partially, all immature members of any valuable species 
except the whiting. Of course, the ingenuity of man in this respect 
