39 

 PART I. 



The Pre-War Period, 1908-1913. 



(1) Introduction. 



This report is primarily a summary of certain fishery 

 investigations carried out in the Irish Sea region during the 

 years 1908-1920. Its object is to provide a series of data which 

 can be consulted for the purpose of assessing the usefulness of 

 any practical legislative proposals as to size-limits or closed 

 grounds. It also endeavours to provide a picture of the present 

 condition of the plaice-fisheries on the fishing grounds men- 

 tioned below. If we had such a picture for the period 1870- 

 1890, the information so afforded would be of the utmost value 

 in the discussions that are now going on with respect to 

 questions of impoverishment, size-limits, etc. We think it very 

 useful, therefore, to summarise here what has been the outcome 

 of the investigations made by the vessels and officers of the 

 Lancashire and Western Sea-Fisheries Committee during the 

 last twenty years or so, as these observations will, at the least, 

 record the present conditions and give a basis for comparison 

 with those that may possibly be made some twenty or thirty 

 years hence. 



The essential part of the report consists of the tables of 

 measurements, etc., that are given on pp. 73-84. 

 In addition to these we have added a summary of the results 

 of a series of marking experiments and some additional observa- 

 tions. In order, however, to present the general attitude 

 adopted a rather full discussion of the methods used has also 

 been written, and the general bearing of the conclusions reached 

 are also discussed on pp. 167 and following. The impression 

 obtained is that the time has not come for any legislative- 

 restrictive action in this part of the sea. That impression is, 

 however, personal to those of us who have been concerned in 

 carrying out the investigations, and does not necessarily 



