I. THE THAMES ESTUARY AND 

 LEIGH-ON-SEA FISHERIES. 



CONTENTS. 



I. Purport of Eeport. 



II. Thames Estuary and its Physical Formation. 



III. Leigh as a Fishery Station. 



IV. Whales, Food-fishes, Crustacea, Shell-fish, &c. 

 V. Fishing Grounds of the Leighmen. 



VI. Special Estuarine Fisheries. 



VII. The Leigh Fishermen. 



VIII. Their Fishing Craft. 



IX. Apparatus of Capture, Cooking, Transport, Ac. 



X. General Returns from Fisheries. 



XL Fish Product Manufacture. 



XII. Economics of Fisheries. 



XIII. Fishery Protection and Culture. 



XIV. Summary and Recommendations. 



L-PURPORT OF REPORT. 



THE Sub-Committee (composed of equal numbers of repre- 

 sentatives from Kent and Essex) was appointed by your Com- 

 mittee on the motion of Captain Anderson " To investigate 

 the Fisheries, and recommend such steps as they may from 

 time to time think best for their development." 



The subject in question was amply discussed from various 

 points of view. Among others, one fact was brought promi- 

 nently into consideration, namely: that within our Sea Fisheries 

 District there is included quite a variety of methods and con- 

 ditions of fishing ; notwithstanding a considerable amount of 

 sameness and flatness of aspect in the greater part of the 

 coast. For example, we have North Sea or Deep Sea Trawlers 

 (Ramsgate, Dover, Folkestone and Brightlingsea) ; offshore and 



