4 Purport of Report. 



inshore fisheries (Harwich, Tollesbury, West Mersea, Margate, 

 Deal, Dungeness, &c.) ; estuarine fisheries (Maldon, Sheerness, 

 Queenborough, Southend and Leigh) ; besides the great shell- 

 fish industries (Whitstable, Faversham, Burnham, &c.), so 

 characteristic of the conjoint counties. Expressed otherwise 

 there are in use, beam trawl and drift-net, long-line and hand- 

 line, seine, bag or stow-net ; Leigh shrimp-net, shove-net, 

 dredge and kettle-net, crab and lobster pots, and, even to a 

 limited degree, rod, leger-line and hoop-net may be included 

 altogether a very goodly array. 



In short, it would seem that the interests involved, and 

 thereby modes adopted, whether at the greater or lesser fishing 

 centres, are to some extent occasionally antagonistic ; speciality 

 of fishery and peculiarity of method depending greatly on 

 locality, its surroundings and prevalence of kinds of fish at 

 certain seasons. It follows and becomes evident that diffi- 

 culties beset any hard-and-fast lines of recommendation strictly 

 applicable, and equally beneficial to all stations concerned. 



Whilst one member of Sub-Committee submitted that the 

 destruction of immature fish was the crying evil to be re- 

 dressed, another supported the view that in our area the catch 

 was plentiful enough with no diminution on the average, spite 

 of supposed over-fishing ; a third thought reduction of carriage 

 and better markets were points worth inquiring into ; a fourth 

 held that it was essential, especially in the case of shell-fish, 

 that a Government measure alone was the touchstone of im- 

 provement. But notwithstanding this seeming diversity of 

 convictions, there was quite a consensus of opinion that 

 deficiency of reliable information was the great drawback. 

 Indeed, until such data are acquired, there can be no solid 

 basis whereon to found recommendations, as to the fisheries 

 development. 



Of places which may be regarded as fishing stations there 

 are about thirty ; Kent and Essex having nearly equal numbers. 

 Some are important centres, others quite the reverse. Of the 



