﻿66 
  

  

  OTTER-TEAWL 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  even 
  though 
  the 
  aggregate 
  number 
  of 
  individuals 
  composing 
  them 
  

   may 
  not 
  be 
  reduced. 
  The 
  larger 
  fish 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  at 
  least 
  the 
  full 
  

   proportion 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  exist 
  in 
  the 
  schools 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  

   increased 
  numbers 
  of 
  the 
  immediately 
  smaller 
  fishes 
  are 
  taken 
  and 
  

   fewer 
  are 
  left 
  to 
  develop 
  into 
  large, 
  and 
  the 
  numbers 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  

   are 
  gradually 
  reduced 
  both 
  absolutely 
  and 
  relatively. 
  We 
  have 
  

   a 
  particularly 
  well-laiown 
  and 
  conspicuous 
  example 
  of 
  this 
  in 
  the 
  

   lobster 
  fisheries 
  of 
  New 
  England. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  analyzes 
  the 
  catches 
  of 
  cod, 
  haddock, 
  and 
  

   plaice 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  their 
  relative 
  size 
  components 
  : 
  

  

  Percentile 
  Ratios 
  of 
  Each 
  Size 
  of 
  Cod, 
  HaddoCk, 
  and 
  Plaice 
  to 
  Total 
  of 
  

   ALL 
  Sizes 
  Landed 
  in 
  England 
  and 
  Wales 
  from 
  the 
  North 
  Sea 
  by 
  Fiest- 
  

   Class 
  Steam 
  Trawlers 
  in 
  4-Year 
  Periods, 
  1903 
  to 
  1912, 
  Inclusive. 
  

  

  a 
  In 
  1903 
  the 
  data 
  of 
  landings 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  coast 
  only 
  are 
  available, 
  but 
  the 
  landings 
  elsewhere 
  were 
  

   negligible. 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  cod 
  shows 
  a 
  material 
  reduction 
  in 
  the 
  

   ratio 
  of 
  large 
  fish 
  to 
  the 
  total, 
  a 
  smaller 
  reduction 
  in 
  the 
  medium 
  

   fish, 
  and 
  a 
  heavy 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  ratio 
  of 
  small. 
  The 
  plaice 
  exhibits 
  

   a 
  slight 
  reduction 
  in 
  the 
  relative 
  catch 
  of 
  large 
  fish, 
  and 
  a 
  corre- 
  

   sponding 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  small, 
  the 
  proportion 
  of 
  medium 
  fish 
  re- 
  

   maining 
  about 
  constant. 
  

  

  The 
  haddock, 
  on 
  the 
  contrary, 
  shows 
  an 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  ratio 
  of 
  

   both 
  large 
  and 
  small 
  at 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  the 
  medium 
  size. 
  So 
  far 
  as 
  

   the 
  large 
  fish 
  are 
  concerned, 
  we 
  believe 
  the 
  actual 
  facts 
  to 
  be 
  other 
  

   than 
  as 
  shown, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  statistical 
  increase 
  has 
  been 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  

   transfer 
  of 
  what 
  were 
  formerly 
  classed 
  as 
  medium 
  fish 
  to 
  the 
  cate- 
  

   gory 
  of 
  large. 
  We 
  know 
  from 
  official 
  statements 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  

   definite 
  standards 
  of 
  size, 
  and 
  that 
  they 
  vary 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time. 
  

   In 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  relatively 
  high 
  price 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  haddock, 
  the 
  

   absolute 
  great 
  increase 
  in 
  that 
  price 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  10 
  years, 
  and 
  the 
  ab- 
  

   solute 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  that 
  size, 
  it 
  appears 
  to 
  us 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  

   than 
  probable 
  that 
  the 
  standards 
  have 
  been 
  lowered, 
  and 
  that 
  all 
  

   categories 
  are 
  as 
  an 
  average 
  smaller 
  fish 
  than 
  formerly. 
  Even 
  if 
  

   this 
  be 
  the 
  case, 
  the 
  combined 
  catch 
  of 
  large 
  and 
  medium 
  haddock 
  

  

  