248 BRITISH FISHERIES 



fishing grounds. Trawling, because it was a most 

 effective method of fishing, had had a considerable 

 effect on the inshore fisheries on certain parts of 

 the east coasts of England and Scotland. Much 

 fishing, both by trawls and long-lines, had led to 

 a scarcity of fish in these waters, and it was then 

 necessary to go further to sea in order to get good 

 catches. This change from inshore to offshore 

 fishing was caused by trawl-fishing. It was sup- 

 posed to be the case even with round fishes like 

 haddocks, which we now believe to be so prone to 

 temporary migrations and changes that it is difficult 

 to make any safe deductions as to their permanent 

 abundance. Flat fishes had not apparently decreased 

 in numbers to a notable extent, but a decrease in 

 their average size had taken place, and this change 

 was indicative of their diminished abundance. All 

 this referred to inshore waters. No change of any 

 importance (except, perhaps, in the case of soles) 

 had taken place on the offshore grounds. 1 



The next inquiry into the question of fisheries 

 impoverishment was made by a Select Committee 

 of the House of Commons in 1893. When the 

 Trawling Commission reported in 1885, there 

 were no statistics in existence which might sup- 

 plement the observations made by Professor 

 M'Intosh, which, with the recollections and 

 impressions of many witnesses, furnished the only 

 evidence obtainable that commercial trawl-fishing 



1 Report, Trawling Commission^ 1885, p. xvii. 



