24 



the differences of opinion expressed about that time it was 

 evident that further exact statistics from different parts of 

 the coast were badly wanted, and it should be remembered 

 that at the London International Fisheries Conference in 

 1890 the following resolution proposed by Dr. P. P. C. 

 Hoek the delegate from Holland (a well-known authority 

 on fishery matters) was passed unanimously: — "This 

 conference considers it desirable that before the official con- 

 ference meets, the different nations interested in the Sea- 

 Fisheries of European waters will collect with as little delay 

 as possible, sufficient information, scientific as well as 

 statistical, with regard to the damage done by the capture 

 of under-sized fish by their fishermen." This is now being 

 done in Scotland by the Scottish Fishery Board, at Grimsby 

 by Mr. Ernest Holt, and in the south by the Marine 

 Biological Association at Plymouth, and we shall naturally 

 be expected to do our part here. Our shallow inshore 

 waters here are known to serve as ' ' nurseries ' ' for young 

 flat-fish, in fact the areas over which the shrimpers work 

 are at certain times swarming with young fish from 

 immediately after post-larval stages nearly up to maturity. 

 Those interested in the fisheries elsewhere naturally look 

 to us to give exact information as to the state of affairs in 

 this district, and I would strongly recommend that a 

 systematic survey of these " nurseries " and a determina- 

 tion of the proportion of different species of young fish, and 

 their sizes month by month, be made a regular part of the 

 work of the new steamer. The valuable statistics which 

 Mr. Dawson has already been able to take in the district 

 give some preliminary idea of the immense numbers of 

 these young fishes which are caught along with the 

 shrimps. The following hauls will show that : — 

 July 27. Burbo Bank. Shrimp trawl out 1^ hrs. 



5785 immature food fishes to 2 qts. of shrimps. 



