20 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX. 



It is much to be regretted that all these forms of 

 in-shore fishing, whether for Shrimps, or Eels, or other 

 fish, destroy an enormous quantity of the fry of 

 valuable species, such as Turbot, Brill, Soles, and Plaice. 

 It remains an open question whether the catching of 

 Eels, Shrimps, etc., by small-meshed nets does not 

 indirectly destroy fish of much greater value, which 

 would produce a far better return to the fishermen 

 if allowed to come to maturity. In my opinion, even 

 if the Fishery Board (by determining the minimum 

 size of the mesh to be allowed in the district) destroyed 

 the Whitebait fishery altogether, they would inflict no 

 injury upon, but rather deserve the thanks of, the 

 community of Essex fishermen. 



RIVER FISHERIES. 



The River Fisheries of Essex are of small value. 

 The poisoning of the Thames by sewage has destroyed 

 our only Salmon-river. Some individuals, as will be 

 seen later on, occasionally attempt to pass up it ; but, 

 so far as I know, they never reach that small portion 

 of the Thames in Essex which is, or rather should be, 

 fresh water, but which, instead, only resembles the 

 vilest and most unsavoury sewage. 



The want of records of species for Essex rivers 

 has caused much extra labour in compiling the 

 following lists of the fish inhabiting each. No pains 



