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a | 
AN OUTLINE OF THE SHRIMP QUESTION. 
By W. A. Herpman. 
In the course of last summer Mr, Fell, the Chairman 
of the Lancashire and Western Committee, sent me a letter 
in which he suggested that it might be useful to give in 
this Report a detailed statement in regard to the natural 
conditions under which shrimping is carried on in 
Laneashire waters, and as to the relations between the 
shrimps and the young flat-fish. It is very desirable that 
such a statement should be drawn up, but the time has 
not yet come when we are in a position to do so in any 
detail or with any finality. Periodic investigations 
carried on over a couple of years, such as cannot be under- 
taken until we have a scientific steamer at our disposal, 
are necessary to clear up certain points in life-history and 
bionomics. Still it may be useful to give now an outline 
of what is known and what has still to be determined in 
connection with the subject, and to take what steps are 
possible to us during the coming year to obtain statistics 
which may aid us im tackling some of the unsolved 
problems. 
The subject is a very diverse and complicated one, 
which leads us into economie as well as scientific questions, 
and although one might desire that any proposed regula- 
tions of the shrimping upon grounds frequented by young 
fish should be considered and settled on the scientific evi- 
dence, still it can seareely be doubted that administrators 
will take cognisance of the economic questions even if they 
do not adjudicate wholly upon them. Consequently in 
any discussion of the subject we must be prepared to take 
fully into account the important mterests involved in the 
shrimping industry, and not to sacrifice unduly any pre- 
