226 
the adoption of some one will probably come in the future. 
In 1892 a conference held under the auspices of the 
National Sea Fisheries Protection Association proposed 
10in. as the legal minimum size of marketable Plaice. 
Following this, in 1893 a Select Committee of the House 
of Commons recommended 8in. as the limit, being influ- 
enced by the existing legal sizes in other countries. In 
France the legal size of Plaice is 5$in., in Belgium nearly 
the same, and in Denmark it is 8in. 
It is to be noted that the arguments as to the decline 
of the Plaice fishery are generally founded on the total — 
weight of fish landed, not on the number of individuals, 
and this has suggested the ingenious “‘ growth-theory ” of 
Petersen* for the betterment of the fishery. In Danish 
waters the weight of a 10in. Plaice is less than 41b., and 
that of a 14in. fish is more than twice as much. Now if 
in the time required for a Plaice to grow from 10 to 14 
inches the total mortality on the fishery ground is such 
as to reduce the number of individuals by one-half, the 
total weight of fish will remain much the same as before. 
But it is not lkely that the mortality will be so great, 
since the Plaice is singularly free from disease, and at the 
sizes mentioned its enemies (predatory fishes) are few. It 
follows then that by deferring their capture until they 
have grown to 14in. in length a much greater weight of 
fish will be brought to the market. The utility of a size 
limit (the most profitable one to be determined by experi- 
ence) is therefore apparent. ‘Though fewer fish are caught 
the fishing will become more profitable. The practica- 
bility of such a measure is greater in Denmark than in 
Britain. There fish are brought to the market alive and 
instruments of capture are designed to that end. Small 
fish taken can therefore be returned to the sea alive. Here, 
* Petersen—loc. cit., p. 48. 
