137 



CHAPTER II. 



THE SOLE FISHEEY. 



We have next to consider tlie present condition of the sole fishery and to ascertain 

 whether the supply of soles in British waters has decreased in recent times. The 

 materials available for this enquiry are extremely scanty. Fishery statistics have been 

 systematically recorded for manj' years past in Scotland, but as there are no soles, 

 except as occasional rarities, in Scottish waters, these statistics are of no use for our 

 present purpose. The statistics of Irish fisheries on the otlier hand have only been 

 collected at all comprehensively since 1887, and the quantity of soles and other fish 

 landed at a certain number of Irish ports is recorded for only two years up to the 

 present time, namely, 1888 and 1889. For England and Wales analytical statistics 

 have been published in the " Statistical Tables and Memorandum relating to the Sea 

 Fisheries, &c." compiled by the Fisheries Sub-department of the Board of Trade, since 

 the year 1886. The figures in these tables of the total quantities of soles and otlier 

 prime fish landed on the English and Welsh coasts in successive j^ears are given in the 

 following table :— 



