49 



suggestions were made as to remedial measm-es. The 

 destruction by shrimping was again referred to in last 

 year's report where a full description was given of the 

 "easier" or shrimp trap and its method of use at Le 

 Croisic on the Brittany coast. This instrument has not 

 yet had a satisfactory trial in our estuaries, and it is a 

 question whether even if it were shown to work as well 

 here as it does in France our men could be induced to 

 make use of it. 



The statistics of hauls taken during the past year from 

 the steamer show once more, if any showing is still needed, 

 that that destructive engine the shrimp trawl brings up 

 along' with a miserably small number of shrimps, an 

 astonishingly large number of young food fishes. On 

 November 2nd, off the Eibble estuary, with 5 quarts of 

 shrimps were taken over 5,000 undersized food fishes. 

 On the same date, off Blackpool with 1^ quarts of shrimps 

 were 10,000 fish ; on October •24th, in Hey sham Lake 

 with 2 quarts of shrimps were 4,000 plaice about 4 inches 

 long ; and so on. Of course it is satisfactory to know 

 that there are so many young fish on the ground, but it 

 is deplorable that for the sake of a quart or two of shrimps 

 several thousands of young fish should run some risk of 

 being sacrificed. 



Bar Shank Net Experiments. 



These experiments were carried out by Mr. Dawson 

 for the purpose of determining whether the destruction of 

 small fish caught while shrimping could be decreased 

 without aifecting the number of shrimps taken. In carry- 

 ing out the experiments an ordinary shank net and a shrimp 

 trawl were worked over the same ground, along with a 

 modified shank net having a bar fixed to the frame about 

 3 inches off the bottom, to which bar the lower part of 



